These are such fun to make and there is always the bonus of there always being some spare marshmallows or chocolate buttons that need polishing off!
Makes 12
Prep time: 20min
Cooking time: 20min
for the cakes
125g softened butter
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs
½tsp vanilla essence
125g self raising flour
1tbsp milk
for the buttercream
300g icing sugar
150g butter, softened
50g plain chocolate, melted
to decorate
12 marshmallows, 6 rainbow laces, orange, black and coloured fondant, desiccated coconut
6 giant milk chocolate buttons, 12 milk chocolate buttons, 12 curly curly squirlies
Line a muffin/cupcake tin with 12 paper cases
To make the cakes, put the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and milk into a large mixing bowl. Beat with either a hand whisk or electric mixer until smooth, pale and combined.
Divide the batter between the cases and bake at 180°C for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean.
Leave on a wire rack to cool.
While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream by beating together in a bowl, the icing sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Divide the icing into two bowls and stir the cooled melted chocolate into one bowl.
Once the cakes are cool, spread six with the plain buttercream, sandwich two marshmallows together with a little leftover buttercream and place each pair in the centre of six cakes. Wrap a rainbow lace around the marshmallows-the scarf. Then make a orange carrot nose, a pair of black eyes and even a colourful hat for each snowman, glue onto the top marshmallow (to give him a face) with some of the icing and sprinkle with the desiccated coconut "snow".
Spread the remaining six cakes with the chocolate icing. Place a chocolate button towards the lower half of the cake and stick a red smart on top for Rudolph's nose. Place another two buttons just above the first and decorate these with small rounds of black fondant for his eyes. Then finish him off with a pair or curly curly antlers.