SMALL CUPCAKE TOWER RECIPES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: heat the oven to 180°C (160° fan) 350°F gas 4. Grease 16 bun or cupcake tins.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well blended.
• Sift in the flour and fold in gently with the milk.
• Put half the mixture into another bowl and sift in the cocoa. Stir until blended.
• Spoon the mixtures separately into the tins and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and risen. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the mini cupcakes: Place 12 paper cases in a mini muffin or bun tin.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the egg until well blended.
• Sift in the flour and fold in gently with a little milk if the mixture is too stiff.
• Spoon into the paper cases and bake for about 8 minutes. until risen and golden. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
• To decorate: dust a surface with icing sugar and roll out 1/3 of the white sugarpaste. Cut into 12 rounds the same diameter as the mini cakes.
• Brush 1 side of the sugarpaste rounds with a little water and place on top of the mini cakes, pressing and smoothing to remove any air bubbles.
• Roll out most of the pink sugarpaste and cut into thick strips. Reserve 5 strips and roll the remainder into ropes.
• Roll out another 1/3 of the white sugarpaste and brush with water. Lay the remaining pink strips on top. Using a rolling pin, flatten both colours together to form stripes.
• Cut into small lengths and twist into ropes.
• Roll out the remaining white sugarpaste and cut out shapes as in the photo. Brush 1 side of the sugarpaste shapes with a little water and place on top of the plain cupcakes. Press in a few chocolate beans.
• Roll out the remaining pink sugarpaste and cut out ovals and teardrop shapes. Attach to the white shugarpaste wth a little water. Decorate with sweets and/or sugar hearts
• Place a chocolate cupcake on a serving plate. Arrange chocolate beans around the edges. Attach the twisted sugarpaste ropes around the edge with a little water.
• Place 2 plain cakes on top. Place a mini muffin on top and decorate with sweets, chocolate beans and any sugarpaste trimmings.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups and mini paper baking cup in each of 18 mini muffin cups.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture, alternately with 2/3 cup milk, beating just until blended. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• Bake regular cupcakes 18 to 25 minutes, mini cupcakes 12 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat powdered sugar and 2/3 cup butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla and 3 teaspoons of the milk. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk until icing is smooth and spreadable.
• Spoon 1 1/2 cups of frosting into decorating bag fitted with small round tip (#22). Frost each cupcake (regular and mini) with slightly less than 1 tablespoon frosting, making various length streamers. Divide remaining frosting between two bowls; stir red food color into one bowl to desired color. Stir in blue food color into second bowl to desired color.
• Remove paper liners from mini cupcakes, if desired. Place 1 mini cupcake on top of each regular cupcake. Pipe blue and red icings around base of mini cupcakes (on regular cupcakes) and on top of mini cupcakes, making various length streamers. Use any remaining white frosting to fill in streamers between red and blue ones. Sprinkle with stars; insert candle in top of each cupcake.