Whether served alongside or instead of a Christmas pudding, a showstopping dessert will end things on a (sugar) high.
Rudolph or Christmas tree cupcakes
MAKES 12-16 V GF
HANDS-ON TIME 40 MINS
TOTAL TIME 1 HR 5 MINS
Child-friendly cupcakes don’t get any more festive than this. Start by letting the kids choose the cupcake base (vanilla or chocolate), then the icing and decoration (green vanilla icing decorated like a Christmas tree or velvety chocolate icing that bears the likeness of a very familiar red-nosed friend).
For vanilla cupcakes
225g gluten-free
self-raising flour
1 tsp gluten-free
baking powder
¼ tsp xanthan gum
225g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
For chocolate cupcakes
40g unsweetened cocoa powder (reduce the flour amount to 185g)
For the Christmas tree decoration
200g butter, softened
400g icing sugar, sifted, extra to dust
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
green food
colouring gel
gluten-free
Christmas sprinkles*
12 chocolate stars
For the Rudolph decoration
250g butter, softened
185g icing sugar, sifted
55g unsweetened cocoa powder
110g dark chocolate, melted
24 mini gluten-free
pretzels
24 gluten-free
edible eyes*
12 small round red sweets*
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4 and line a cupcake tray with deep cupcake cases.
2 Place the ingredients for the cupcakes into a large bowl, not forgetting to reduce the flour to 185g if making chocolate cupcakes. Mix until thoroughly combined and creamy – about 1-2 minutes with an electric whisk. Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases (no more than three-quarters full) and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Check by poking a skewer into the centre of a cupcake – if it comes out clean, then they’re done. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the icing.
3 For the Christmas tree decoration, beat the butter until it has turned a lot paler. Add the sifted icing sugar in two stages, beating for about 3 minutes between each addition. Once the icing sugar is fully mixed in, add the vanilla extract and a small drop of green food colouring gel, then mix again to fully combine. Use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to pipe the icing on nice and tall, then decorate with strategically placed festive sprinkles to look like baubles, a dusting of icing sugar to look like snow, and a star to top each.
4 For the Rudolph decoration, beat the butter and sifted icing sugar until the butter has turned a lot paler, then sift in the cocoa powder and mix agai
