Makes 12 Cupcakes
Preparation 45 – 60 minutes, plus cooking time of 30 minutes
Ingredients:
140g butter
230g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 glass milk
230g plain (all purpose) flour
40g cocoa
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Buttercream:
250g icing (powdered) sugar
100g butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons stem ginger syrup
1 tablespoon milk
Mini gingerbread men
50g icing (powdered) sugar
Water (approximately 1 teaspoon)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 170C (340F)
2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add eggs and milk and stir slowly until well combined.
3. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and spices and mix well.
4. Carefully divide the mixture between 12 cupcake cakes and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed. Once cooked leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Make the buttercream by combining butter, icing sugar, ginger syrup and milk and whisking until pale and fluffy, which should take about 5 minutes. Put into a piping bag with a star tip, and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
6. Mix the icing sugar and enough water to form a paste similar in texture to toothpaste. Add the water slowly, drop by drop. Put into a piping bag or bottle and add detail to your mini gingerbread men. Place on top of your cupcakes.
7. Delight the children in your family with the chocolate and gingerbread cupcakes! The cupcakes will keep for about 5 days in an airtight tin, but if you’re not planning to eat them for a few days it’s best to put the gingerbread men on top on the day you plan to eat them. This will make sure they stay nice and chrunchy.
