Elf & Santa cupcakes

Get the kids involved in making these cute elf and Santa cupcakes with our template for the chimney-style paper cases 

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 175g butter , softened
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 orange , zested and 1/2 juiced
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing

• 100g unsalted butter , softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g icing sugar , sifted

For the legs

• fondant icing sugar
• candy canes
• strawberry pencil sweets
• black, green and white fondant icing
• gold and silver balls

Method

• STEP 1Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line bun tins with paper cake cases. Put all the ingredients for the cupcakes in a large bowl using 4 tbsp of the orange juice, then beat together for 1-2 mins until smooth. 
• STEP 2Spoon the cake mix into the cases, so they are three-quarters full. Bake for 15-18 mins or until golden and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack. 
• STEP 3For the icing, beat the butter, vanilla and icing sugar until pale and creamy, adding 1-2 tbsp warm water to loosen, if needed. Ice the cakes with a palette knife or use a piping bag to create swirls deep enough to hold the Santa and elf legs.
• STEP 4For the legs, make a batch of fondant icing following the pack instructions. Cut the candy canes and pencil sweets into 4cm lengths. Use green fondant icing to mould elf boots around the candy cane legs and black fondant icing to mould Santa boots around the strawberry pencil legs. Add some white fondant around the top of Santa boots. Use the made-up fondant icing to stick a silver or gold ball onto each toe of the elf boots. Let the boots dry completely. Use our chimney template, to make paper sleeves to wrap around the cupcake cases. Push the legs into the cupcakes just before serving.

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Jingle Bell Swag

Kids will love helping you make this sweet holiday noise maker. Have them thread the bells on the ribbon while you tie the bow. Hang on the front door, above the mantel, or at the end of a bed.

To make: Thread large jingle bells onto three lengths of ribbon; knot one end of the ribbon. Tie the unknotted end around a small wreath form or a length of wire shaped into a circle. Wire together a small bunch of seasonal greenery; attach to the wreath or circle form. Tie an oversized bow and hot glue to the wire just above the greenery.

DIY Christmas Light Napkin Rings

Old bulbs make for inventive napkin rings! We love the colorful, happy look of this easy DIY.

Make the Napkin Rings: Attach a loop of red-and-white baker’s twine to the base of a bulb with hot glue; wrap base completely with twine and tie around rolled napkins.

Holiday Cooking- Snowman Cake

Get in the seasonal spirit with this stunning snowman cake. It will be a hit with the whole family and kids will love getting involved with the decorating!

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter , softened, plus extra for the tin
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ½ lemon , zested
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g self-raising flour
• splash of milk

For the buttercream

• 125g unsalted butter , softened
• 300g icing sugar , sieved
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk

To decorate

• icing sugar , for dusting
• 500g pack white fondant icing
• ready-to-roll icing (we used a mixed pack green, blue, orange and black, or you can use white fondant icing mixed with food colouring)

Method

• STEP 1Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the bases of two 18-19cm cake tins with baking parchment. 
• STEP 2Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, milk and a pinch of salt and blend until just combined, then evenly divide the mixture between the tins.
• STEP 3Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• STEP 4To make the buttercream, put the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until fluffy. Add the icing sugar 2-3 tbsp at a time until it is all incorporated, adding the vanilla and milk halfway through. Sandwich the cakes together with a little of the buttercream and put on a board. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the sides and top of the cake. Chill for 30 mins.
• STEP 5To decorate, roll out the white fondant icing on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar until large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake. Drape the fondant icing over the cake and carefully mould to fit. Trim off any excess, wrap and set aside.
• STEP 6Roll out the green icing and cut out a semi-circle, using the base of the cake tin as a guide; this will be the snowman’s hat. Brush one side with a little water and stick on the cake. Cut a strip of green icing and make some markings to make it look like the band of a hat, then trim to the correct length and stick on. 
• STEP 7To make the nose, shape a round, flat lump from the orange icing. Mark a smile by gently pressing the rim of a water glass into the fondant. Cut out two circles from the black icing for the eyes, then add a small circle of white icing (from the offcuts) to make the eyes appear to sparkle. To make the scarf, wrap a strip of the blue icing around the base of the cake, then use a knife to add cuts for the fringe. Will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in a cool place.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2018

Craft Time

Todays Craft: Felt Wreath

Simply tie strips of green felt around a wreath form to create this fluffy and fun holiday decor.

To make: Cut strips of two different shades of green felt. Tie strips around a wreath form. Attach small red ornaments throughout the wreath with hot glue. Loop a length of wide ribbon around the wreath to hang.