Annabel Karmel's Chilly Penguin Cupcakes recipe

Method

• step 1

  Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases

• step 2

  Measure the cake ingredients into a bowl and whisk together, using an electric hand whisk, until light and fluffy. Spoon into the cases. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until well risen and pale golden. Leave to cool

• step 3

  To make the buttercream icing, put the butter, vanilla extract and milk in a bowl with half of the icing sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add the remaining sugar and whisk again until light and creamy

• step 4

  Stick a teacake on top of each cupcakes cake, using a little icing. Then spoon or pipe icing around and over the teacakes, smoothing it down to make penguin bodies. Halve 6 Oreos, then break the halves in half again to make the wings. Stick these onto each side of each body

• step 5

  Insert a cocktail stick into the middle of an Oreo. Repeat until you have inserted 12 Oreos with a cocktail stick

• step 6

  Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Spoon or pipe the melted chocolate in a V-shape over the lower half or each cocktail-stick Oreo to make the penguin's face. Leave all the faces set in the fridge for 30 minutes

• step 7

  Remove from the fridge and stick an orange Tic Tac onto each face and then add eyes using the icing pen. Insert a face into each penguin body

• step 8

  Make 12 scarves out of the green or red fondant and wrap around the neck of each penguin.

  *Don’t forget to remove the cocktail sticks before serving to young children