Jolly Festive Cakes

For the cupcakes: heat the oven to 180°C (160° fan) 350°F gas 4. Place paper cases in a 12 hole bun tin.

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy.

Add the eggs gradually, beating well, then beat in the orange zest.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the mixture.

Spoon into the paper cases and bake for about 15 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To decorate: heat the apricot jam gently until melted. Brush lightly over the cakes.

Roll out the pink sugarpaste on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and cut out 12 small discs, slightly smaller than the diameter of the cakes. Press a disc onto each cake and brush the discs lightly with apricot jam.

Roll out the red sugarpaste thinly as before and thick and cut out 6 small discs. Cut the discs in half and attach each half to the top of the cupcake with a dab of jam, for the 'hat'.

Roll the remaining red sugarpaste into 12 small balls for the 'noses' and attach to the cakes with a dab of jam.

Roll 12 small balls from the white sugarpaste and attach to the hats with a dab of jam.

Roll out the remaining white sugarpaste and cut 12 thin strips for the hat trim. Attach with a little jam.

Attach 2 black sweets for the 'eyes' with a dab of jam.