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Holly leaves & berries from Christmas Cupcakes by Annie Rigg

Look out for sets of holly leaf cutters in assorted sizes and make a selection of fondant - or royal-icing leaves to top each cupcake. Keep the cupcake cases plain or buy matching, decorative ones to make the cupcakes extra special.

Ingredients

300 g white ready-to-roll fondant or royal icing
green food colouring paste
icing sugar, for dusting
edible green glitter
red, green and white sprinkles
red sugar balls
holly-shaped cutters in assorted sizes
1–2 muffin tins, lined with
12 festive paper cupcake cases

Red Velvet cupcakes
175 g unsalted butter, softened
175 g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
red food colouring paste (ruby or Christmas red)
175 g plain flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
125 ml buttermilk,
at room temperature 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Marshmallow Frosting:
250 g caster sugar
1 tablespoon water
4 egg whites
a pinch of salt

makes 12

Make the fondant/royal-icing holly leaves 2 days before you make the cupcakes. Tint the icing green using the food colouring paste. Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with icing sugar. Roll the icing out to a thickness of no more than 2 mm. Using the assorted holly cutters, stamp out as many shapes as you like. Use the blunt side of a knife or a skewer to mark veins in each leaf, then dust with edible green glitter. Set aside on baking parchment to dry out for 2 days. When you are ready to make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) Gas 4.

To make the red velvet cupcakes, cream together the butter and
sugar until pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the bowl from time to time with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla and ½ teaspoon of the food colouring paste and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Gradually add to the egg mixture in alternate batches with the buttermilk.

In a small bowl, mix together the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar.
Add to the cake mixture and mix again until smooth. Divide the mixture between the paper cases, filling them two-thirds full.

Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin
for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix the red, green and white sprinkles in a bowl.

To make the Marshmallow Frosting. Put all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk slowly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is foamy. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches at least 60ºC (140ºF) on a sugar thermometer. Immediately pour the frosting into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use an electric whisk and mixing bowl) and beat on medium speed until it will stand in stiff, glossy peaks – this will take about 3 minutes. Use immediately.

Spread the Marshmallow Frosting generously onto each cold cupcake. Dip the edges of the cupcakes into the mixed sprinkles. Top with the holly leaves and red sugar balls.