Bake Me I'm Yours … Cupcake Fun - over 25 cute cake characters. Carolyn White

(pastry) bag with the batter, snip off the end and pipe it into the cases.

      4 Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

      5 When cool, fill another piping bag fitted with the no. 230 piping tube with the jam. Insert downwards into the centre of each cupcake and squeeze about a teaspoonful of jam into the cake centre, withdrawing the tube as you go.

      Chocolate brownie

      This makes fantastic cupcakes, but a word of warning – only choose this recipe if you have made your decorations and frostings in advance, as you need to bake, cool, decorate and eat these cupcakes in one day or they will turn crispy.

      You will need…makes about 12

       225g (8oz) dark (semisweet or bittersweet) chocolate pieces, callets or buttons

       85g (3oz) salted butter, cut into pieces

       2 large eggs, beaten

       200g (7oz) soft dark brown sugar

       140g (5oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

       1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract

       75g (23⁄4oz) pecan nuts, chopped

      1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line your muffin tray (pan) with muffin cases (liners) and set to one side.

      2 Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and place in a microwave oven on low for about 2 minutes, checking often, until melted. Stir well and leave to cool.

      3 Meanwhile, place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat on a medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture and beat again. Spoon in the flour and mix on a slow speed until combined, then add the pecan nuts and mix again.

      4 Spoon the mixture evenly into the cases or fill a large disposable plastic piping (pastry) bag with the batter, snip off the end allowing a large enough hole for the nuts and pipe it into the cases.

      5 Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until firm to the touch but you will want them to be slightly moist in the centre. Cool on a wire rack.

      Banana & macadamia

      These cupcakes are tantalizingly exotic tasting, with their tropical fruit, rich nuts and warm spice. You can also use natural (plain) yogurt or sour cream instead of the buttermilk.

      You will need…makes 12–15

       210g (71⁄2oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

       1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

       1⁄4 tsp salt

       1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon

       1⁄8 tsp allspice

       125g (41⁄2oz) unsalted butter, softened

       300g (101⁄2oz) caster (superfine) sugar

       2 large eggs

       1⁄2 tsp (2.5ml) vanilla extract

       100ml (31⁄2fl oz) buttermilk

       1–2 overripe bananas, depending on size, mashed

       60g (21⁄4oz) macadamia nuts, chopped

      1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 140°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line your muffin trays (pans) with muffin cases (liners) and set to one side.

      2 Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices together into a bowl.

      3 Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream for 1–2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

      4 Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

      5 Add a third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix on low speed until combined, then add half the buttermilk and banana and mix again. Repeat this process. Add the remaining third of the flour mixture and beat until well combined; don’t overbeat, as this will toughen the mixture. Add the nuts and beat again until evenly combined.

      6 Spoon the mixture evenly into the cases. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

      Topping recipes

      A cupcake is nothing without its finishing touch of decadent frosting, and there are lots of sumptuous recipes to choose from here to suit a variety of tastes.

      Lemon cream cheese frosting

      When using this lovely zingy yet creamy frosting, it’s best to frost and decorate only at the last moment because the frosting needs to remain cool (it should always be kept in the fridge), but sugarpaste decorations don’t like going in the fridge.

      You will need…

       160g (53⁄4oz) cream cheese

       60g (21⁄4oz) butter, softened

       2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (unwaxed)

       480g (1lb 1oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

      1 Place the cream cheese, butter and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.

      2 Gradually beat in the sugar until well combined.

      For an orange cream cheese frosting, simply replace the lemon zest with the same quantity of orange zest from a washed unwaxed orange.

      Whipped chocolate frosting

      I love this frosting as a lighter alternative to ganache. It’s great for kids, as it is more buttery – plus it’s so easy to make. Either spread directly onto your cakes with a palette knife or spoon into a large disposable piping (pastry) bag fitted with a piping tube (tip) and pipe on (see applying frostings).

      You will need…

       200ml (7fl oz) double (heavy) cream

       150g (51⁄2oz) plain (semisweet) chocolate, finely chopped or callets

       280g (10oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

       140g (5oz) unsalted butter, softened

      1 Place the cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave oven until boiling. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth.

      2 Leave to cool for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as it thickens.

      3 Place the sugar and butter in a separate bowl and beat until smooth,