Watermelon Cupcakes
These funky watermelon cupcakes are a vibrant and jolly addition to any party table. With just the clever addition of some food colouring (gels are the best at achieving that vivid colour!) to a simple cake and buttercream recipe, they are sure to be the star of the show at any buffet!
Prep: 45 mins | Cook: 15 mins | Cool: 30 mins
Serves 12 people
Ingredients
- 175g salted butter
- 175g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 large FREE eggs
- 175g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp milk
- Green food colouring
- FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 200g salted butter
- 400g icing sugar
- Pink food colouring
- 50g chocolate chips
- YOU WILL NEED
- 12-hole muffin tin
- 12 green paper cases
- Piping bag and nozzle, preferably
Method
- Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
- Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until light in colour and fluffy in texture. Crack in an egg along with a tablespoon of flour and whisk into the butter and sugar until well combined. Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs.
- Sprinkle in the remaining flour and baking powder and gently fold into the mixture until well combined. Pour in the milk and stir until a smooth batter is achieved.
- Add enough food colouring to colour the batter vivid green - stir well to incorporate the colour through all the batter. Spoon into the paper cases before baking in the oven for 13 - 15 minutes.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to fully cool on a cooling rack. Make the buttercream in the meantime.
- Beat the butter until light and pale in colour before adding the icing sugar. Beat again until a smooth buttercream is achieved. Add enough pink food colouring to achieve a vivid pastel pink then spoon into your prepared piping bag with desired nozzle.
- Take the cooled cakes and trim the domes of the cakes to expose the vivid green inside - chef gets the off-cuts! Pipe a generous swirl of buttercream onto each cake and finish with a couple of chocolate chips to imitate watermelon seeds.
- Serve and enjoy!
