Treat your friends and family to these adorable Christmas Snowman Cupcakes! With flavours of red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting, they taste as amazing as they look.
Beat the margarine/butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Add the flour, cocoa powder and buttermilk and fold the mixture together until smooth and combined.
Add the red gel food colouring until the mixture reaches the desired colour.
In a separate small bowl, stir the white wine vinegar and bicarbonate of soda together, then quickly fold it into the cake mixture.
Divide the cake mixture between 12 cupcake cases, filling each one about two-thirds full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until risen and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the snowmen heads
Use your finger to roll a tiny piece of orange fondant into a cone shape with a flat base. Repeat this until you have 12 noses. Leave them to dry and harden at room temperature.
Once dry, use a dab of edible glue or icing to stick the nose onto the marshmallow. Hold it in place for a minute or so until it sticks.
Use the chocolate writing icing to dot the eyes and mouth onto each marshmallow.
Now make the cream cheese frosting
Beat the butter until really soft and pale in colour.
Sift in the icing sugar and beat again until smooth.
Now take the cream cheese out of the fridge and add it into the bowl. Gently fold the cream cheese into the frosting until smooth. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can quickly become runny.
Fit a piping bag with a large round nozzle and snip off the tip. Spoon the cream cheese frosting into the piping bag.
Assemble the snowmen
Pipe a blob of cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes for the body.
Place the snowmen heads on top.
Snap a Mikado stick in half and push them into the buttercream for the arms.
Place 3 sprinkles onto the body for the buttons.
Notes
Store your Christmas Snowman Cupcakes in the fridge for up to 3 days.