Fun Kid's Party Food - Part 4 of 8

Welcome to the fourth installment of our Fun Kid's Party Food blog.

This week we're going to look at how to make:

ANIMAL CUPCAKES:
Make these delicious cupcakes and decorate them to look like animals.  They're perfect for parties, or just if you feel like a treat!!

This all in one method of baking cupcakes never fails.  For best results, the butter and eggs should be at room temperature. 

What You'll Need:

Makes 10 Cupcakes

• 125g ( 4 1/2 oz) butter or margarine;
• 125g ( 4 1/2 oz) caster sugar;
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest;
• 2 Eggs;
• 125g ( 4 1/2 oz) self raising flour;
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

Buttercream:

• 100g (3 1/2oz) soft unsalted butter;
• 200g (8oz) icing sugar, sifted;
• 1 tablespoon milk;
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence;

Decoration:

 Teddy Bear:

• Chocolate icing (bought);
• Chocolate buttons;
• Mini chocolate digestive biscuits;
• White and red jelly beans;
• Black writing icing.



 Frog:

• Green food colouring;
• White chocolate buttons (resting on cocktail sticks pushed into the cupcake;
• Green jelly beans;
• Green writing icing;
• Very thin pretzels (optional).

Pussy Cat:

• Yellow M&M's;
• Yellow jelly beans;
• Black writing icing;
• Liquorice allsorts.

Piggy:

• Pink Food Colouring;
• Pink marshmallows;
• Mini candy coated chocolate beans;
• Liquorice allsorts.

Tiger:

• Yellow food colouring;
•  Liquorice allsorts;
• Mini candy coated chocolate beans (for cake decorating);
• Jelly bean.

Bunny:

• Sponge fingers;
• Candy coated chocolate beans;
• Jelly beans;
• Writing icing;
• Very thin pretzels (optional).

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180degrees;
2. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper cases;
3. Put the butter, sugar , lemon zest, eggs, flour and baking powder into a bowl and beat by hand or electric mixer until smooth;
4. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the over for approx 20 minutes.
5. Remove the tin from the oven and allow the cakes to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely;
6. While the cupcakes are cooling you can prepare the icing; beat the butter in a large bowl until it is soft;
7. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth;
8. Add the remaining icing sugar, milk and a few drops of vanilla essence;
9. Divide the icing into a couple of different bowls and colour with food colouring;

When the cakes are cool, swirl some of the icing on top of them and decorate to look like the animals above.  Tip: For the frog and bunny, you can push very thin pretzels into the cupake and balance the ears on top. Tip #2: If you're planning a party you can make the cupcakes up to one month ahead of time and freeze them in a plastic box.  Defrost them at room temperature for about an hour before icing them.  

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