Rubber duckie cupcakes

Equipment

• 1 12-hole muffin tray
• 1 12 large cupcake papers (base 52mm x height 30mm)
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 wire racks
• 1 ice cream scoop
• 1 toothpick
• 1 small scone cutter
• 1 small sharp knife

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place cupcake papers in a 12-hole muffin tray.
2. In an electric mixer, beat butter for 2-3 minutes until pale in colour and creamy. Add sugar one third at a time, beating well between each addition.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute between each addition. Add the vanilla essence and beat until combined.
4. Sift flour and baking powder and add half to butter mixture with half the milk, beat until well combined. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
5. Spoon into cupcake papers (an ice cream scoop can be used) and bake for about 15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Transfer to wire racks and allow to cool completely.
7. To make the icing, combine icing sugar and enough water to form a smooth, spreadable paste. Add 2-3 drops of blue icing to get a suitable ‘pond’ colour.
8. To begin the decoration, chop 600g white fondant icing into small pieces and knead until starting to soften. Add a small amount of yellow colouring using a toothpick. Knead until the colour is even, add more colour if required, knead again.
9. Use 25g (about 2 tablespoons) of yellow icing to form an oval shape body 3cm long; make one end pointy for the tail. Use 15g (about 1 tablespoon) to form a 1.5cm round head. Use a small dot of water to attach the head to the body. Repeat until you have 12 wingless duckies.
10. Reknead the scraps and roll out on a surface dusted with icing sugar to 3mm thick. Use a small scone cutter to cut 6 circles. Cut each circle into 4 quarters/wings. Attach two wings to each duck using a small dot of water.
11. Knead 50g white icing until starting to soften. Add a small amount of orange colouring using a toothpick. Knead until the colour is even, adding more colour if necessary.
12. Form 12 small triangles for the beaks. Use a small sharp knife to cut into the peak of the triangle, but don’t cut all the way through. Attach beak to duckie using a small dot of water.
13. Use the green writing icing to pipe two eyes onto each duck.
14. Spread a tablespoon of blue icing over the top each cupcake.
15. Combine coconut with green icing and sprinkle an edging of ‘grass’ around the side of each cake.
16. Place a little duckie on the top of each cake — it will stick to the blue icing.