Makes 1 Bouquet (plus 6 extra cupcakes for the cooks!)
For this recipe you will need 12 x cupcake cups, green cupcake liners, disposable piping bags and decorative tips, an opaque decorative vase or bucket, weights to fill the vase/bucket (we used pastry weights), a large styrofoam ball (big enough to sit just inside the top of the vase/bucket), coloured tissue paper and paddle pop sticks.
INGREDIENTS
Store-bought vanilla frosting or buttercream
Food colouring gel (assorted colours)
Assorted Dollar Sweets and Creative Kitchen sprinkles, to decorate
CUPCAKES (this recipe will make double the amount of cupcakes needed as it is difficult to make smaller quantities. The extra cupcakes can be for you and Dad!)
110g butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
150g caster sugar
3 extra-large (60g each) eggs
175g plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g low-fat natural yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
METHOD
To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan).
Use a stand mixer or handheld beater to beat butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking each one in with a tablespoon of the flour. Use a spatula to fold in the remaining flour and bicarbonate of soda, then fold in yoghurt and vanilla until combined.
Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake cups, then place on a large tray and bake for 20 mins until golden in colour and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
To decorate, divide icing into 3 equal portions. Colour each portion with your choice of food colour gel, mixing very well to combine. Fit 3 different piping tips to 3 separate piping bags, spoon each coloured icing into a separate bag, then ice the cooled cupcakes. Decorate with different sprinkles.
TO ASSEMBLE: fill the vase or bucket with pastry weights. Place a few small squares of tissue paper on top then place the styrofoam ball on top of the tissue paper. In the very top of the ball insert a paddle pop stick, pushing down until only about 3cm of the stick is visible. Use a sharp knife to cut a small slit in the bottom of one of the cupcake cups, then press the cupcake onto the paddle pop stick until the bottom of the cup touches the ball. Repeat with remaining paddle pop sticks and cupcakes around the sides of the ball.
Flatten out the green cupcake liners then gather in the centre
to create a ruffle and tuck the liners in between the cupcakes to fill in the gaps.
Serve to Mum on Mother’s Day!