Bridegroom Mini Muffins

For the cupcakes: heat the oven to 180°C (160° fan) 350°F gas 4. Place paper cases in 24 mini muffin tins.

Beat together the chocolate and butter in a mixing bowl until soft and creamy.

Gradually beat in the sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth.

Beat in the egg until incorporated. Gradually sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa and fold in gently, alternating with the milk, until well blended.

Spoon into the paper cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, until springy to the touch. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the white chocolate cream: melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Beat the butter and icing sugar until fluffy and pale, then beat in the cream and melted chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool and thicken.

Spoon into a piping bag and pipe a swirl on top of each cake.

To decorate: roll out the white sugarpaste thinly on a surface dusted with icing sugar, using an embossed rolling pin. Cut out small rounds, smaller than the diameter of the cakes and place on top of the chocolate cream. Reserve the trimmings.

Roll 12 balls of pale pink sugarpaste for the face and 12 tiny balls for the noses. Attach the noses with a little water. Mark a deep groove in each ball for the mouths. Attach the faces to the white sugarpaste rounds with a dab of water.

Roll out the chocolate sugarpaste on a surface dusted with icing sugar and cut out 24 pieces for the hair, marking the grooves with a cocktail stick

Shape 24 hats and 24 bow ties from the lilac sugarpaste, marking the bow tie grooves with a cocktail stick.

Attach the hair, hats and bow ties with a little water.

Cut 48 tiny discs from the white sugarpaste trimmings and attach to the faces for the eyes, with a little water.

Pipe or brush on the eye pupils with black piping icing.