Owl cupcakes

Serves:

Makes 12

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (125g) butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup (180g) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
• chocolate melts
• cocoa powder
• white icing
• marshmallows
• brown M&M's Mini
• yellow Smarties

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a 12-cup tray with patty liners.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence with electric beaters. Add eggs, beat well. Add milk and self-raising flour.

Mix with wooden spoon to combine then beat with electric beaters until ingredients are incorporated (don’t over-beat or the cupcakes will be dry and firm). Spoon mixture into patty cases. Bake for around 12-15 minutes, until golden. Cool on wire racks. 

Melt chocolate according to packet directions. Spread on a piece of baking paper to form ears and head feathers. Place in freezer to chill for a few minutes.

Mix a little cocoa powder with white icing to make a mid-brown colour. Ice cupcakes. Arrange ears and head feathers. Cut marshmallows in halves horizontally to form eyes. Dab a little icing on brown M&M's Mini and place on marshmallows as pupils. Use yellow Smarties as beaks. 

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Serving Suggestions

Note

• If you line up all of the decorations in bowls, this can be a great decorating activity to do with the kids.
• You can use Betty Crocker Ready-made Vanilla Frosting for the white icing in this recipe of you don't have time to make your own.
• This recipe is cretaed by Alana House for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.