Pumpkin cupcakes
300g (11oz) self-raising flour
300g (11oz) light muscovado sugar
3 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
175g (6oz) sultanas
½ teaspoon salt
4 medium eggs – beaten
200g (7oz) butter - melted
1 orange – zest only
1 tablespoon orange juice
500g (18oz) pumpkin flesh – grated
To decorate
500g Renshaw Orange Ready to Roll Icing
Apricot jam
250g Renshaw Black Ready to Roll Icing
Black food colouring
Icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
2. Line two cupcake trays with cases.
3. Place the self-raising flour, light muscovado sugar, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs into the melted butter, then stir in the orange zest and orange juice.
5. Mix the butter mixture with the mixed dry ingredients until combined. Then stir in the pumpkin flesh.
6. Divide the mixture between the paper cases.
7. Bake each batch for approximately 20 minutes, until risen and springy.
8. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
To decorate
1. Knead and roll out the Renshaw Orange Ready to Roll Icing on a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to the desired thickness.
2. Lightly brush the top of each cupcake with apricot jam.
3. Cut out circles slightly bigger than the top of the cupcakes using a large circle cutter and place on top of each cupcake.
4. With the back of a knife mark, in the segments on each pumpkin.
5. Use your little finger to make an indent in the centre of each pumpkin.
6. Use a paint brush and black food colour to make shadows on the segments and centre of each pumpkin.
7. For each cupcake, take a small piece of Renshaw Black Ready to Roll Icing and shape into a small cylinder to create the stork. Stick in place using cooled boiled water.
