Firework Frenzy cupcakes

Is it just me or are more people having their own firework parties these days? Much as I enjoy a municipal gathering where thousands of huge fireworks are let off in a spectacularly successful fashion, there is part of me that hankers after a few unpredictable rockets zooming off into next door’s garden. The inevitable pause between fireworks is always a good moment to get some food out. Sausages? Yes. Baked potatoes? Yes. Cupcakes? Definitely. Should you be of a nervous disposition and shy away from explosive devices, never fear. Stick a small, indoor sparkler into the top of the cake, turn the lights out and behold the gentle fizzing.

Makes about 12

Ingredients:

  • 110g self raising flour, sifted
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 110g margarine (preferably Stork)
  • 2 large free range eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200g icing sugar, sifted
  • Juice of 1 large lemon or 55mls boiling water
  • 2 tbsp royal icing (made from box of royal icing powder according to instructions)
  • Assorted gel food colouring
  • Dragees (multi-coloured if possible)
  • You will need three or four piping bags with fine, writing nozzles (size 2 is good)

Method:

  1. First make the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas mark3. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cases.
  2. Put the flour, caster sugar, margarine, eggs and vanilla into a mixer (food processor, free standing mixer or just a big bowl with an electric whisk). Mix really well until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  3. Plonk heaped teaspoons of the mixture into the prepared cases and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until golden, and firm and springy when you give them a light prod on top. Let them cool on a wire rack before preparing the icing.
  4. To make the icing, add the water or lemon juice really slowly to the sifted icing sugar and stir until you have the consistency of really thick cream. Tint the icing whatever colour you want but a really deep blue seems best to imitate the night sky. Ice the cakes and leave to dry.
  5. Separate the royal icing into as many bowls as you want colours and tint them accordingly with food colouring. Using piping bags with the fine nozzles, pipe on whatever fireworks take your fancy – Catherine wheels, rockets, shooting stars and those amazing fountains of baubles all go well. Run free with the dragees – they may need a tiny blob of royal icing underneath to hold them in place.

Recipe taken from Cupcake Magic by Kate Shirazi, published by Pavilion.

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