Red Nose Day Cupcakes 09!

It’s been a busy two days for me since my last post, and I can’t fathom why, you know how it is at times I am sure. I did make sure I had time to squeeze in this little bake to celebrate Red Nose Day 09 with the official day being this Friday.

Red Nose Day, for anyone who is not familiar with this British event, its a day like no other. Fundraising takes part for instance in offices, homes, schools etc across the U.K. Each year sprinkle in a new read nose(s) to wear to boost funds and put it in a mixing pot with favourite celebrities getting up to all kinds of mischief across the nation, then add a fantastic night of comedy on B.B.C. television and here you have Red Nose Day. This event is all in aid of fighting poverty at home and abroad!

Anyone care to lick the runny icing????

These little Red Nose Cupcakes are my own invention. I aimed to make half of the cakes with funny faces for the children and the other half for the adults. Mind you, it must be the child in me because I know which one I reached for and it wasn’t the plain one *giggle*....... The cupcakes are almond flavoured sponge topped with runny icing and half a red glacé cherry. The faces were created by using writing icing tubes found in a local supermarket.

Just look at those cute faces... bawhahahahaha...

To recreate my Red Nose Day Cupcakes here is my recipe.

Red Nose Day Cupcakes

Makes 12 small cupcakes

Ingredients
75g (3 oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
25g (1 oz) ground almonds
100g (4 oz) butter, softened
100g (4 oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp milk – *you may not require it all*
For The Icing
100g (4 oz) icing sugar, sifted
Approximately 1 tbsp water – *see below in method*
6 red glacé cherries, cut in half
Various coloured writing icing tubes
12 small paper cupcake cases

You will need a 12 small holed muffin tray lined with 12 paper cases.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°f/Gas mark 4.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and mix in the ground almonds then leave aside for later. Beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy in colour and texture. Add a little of the beaten egg at a time and beat in well with each addition. Beat in the almond extract until combined fully into the mixture. Fold through the flour mixture gently with a large spatula or metal spoon until fully incorporated. Add a little of the milk at a time folding through gently until you have a good dropping consistency.

Spoon the mixture with equal amounts into each cupcake case then place into the preheated oven. Bake for 15 - 20minutes until nicely golden on top or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tray to cool for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.

To Make The Icing; add the sifted icing sugar to a bowl starting with a few drops of water and mixing through thoroughly adding a little more water until you have a runny icing but thick enough to coat the sponge tops. Take a teaspoon of icing at a time and cover each cupcake top. Place a red glacé cherry in the middle of each iced cake. With the icing tubes make funny faces, cover half as I have and leave half plain or make faces of all the cupcakes. Leave to set a little while before eating.

Lastly, charge consumers for the privilege of eating one of your delicious cupcakes and raise funds for a great cause - Think Red Nose Day!