Hedgehog Cupcakes

For the cupcakes: heat the oven to 190°C (170° fan) 375°F gas 5. Place 12 paper cases in a bun tin.

Whisk together all the cake ingredients until smooth and blended.

Spoon into the paper cases and bake for about 15 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the 'grass': beat the butter until soft. Sift in the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and milk until blended, then beat in the food colouring.

Spoon into a piping bag with a grass nozzle. Pipe on top of the cakes, starting at the outside edge and working in circles, pulling up and away when a buttercream strand is long enough.

For the hedgehogs and apples: roll 12 medium size balls of chocolate sugarpaste and 12 smaller balls. Flatten one end of the larger balls and make indentations with a cocktail stick for the 'spines'.

Roll the trimmings into thin strips for the apple stems.

Attach the smaller balls with a dab of water for the heads, as in the photo.

Roll out the white sugarpaste on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and cut out tiny discs for the eyes'. Attach to the bodies with a dab of water. Cut out more tiny discs for the apples.

Roll pieces of red sugarpaste into small balls for the apples. make an indentation at one end of each ball and attach a chocolate sugarpaste strip with a dab of water. Attach the white discs to the apples with a dab of water.