Crocodile - funny cupcake

Nutrition (1 cupcake): 131 calories, 29 g carbs, 1,6 g fat (1 g unsaturated), 2 g protein, contains B1, B2, B3, B5 vitamins, 7 mcg folate, 50 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, 12 mg magnesium, 80 mg phosphorus, 100 mg potassium, 170 mg sodium.

Cupcakes

1. 125 g/ ½ cup/ 4.4 oz butter
2. 150 g/ ¾ cup/ 6 oz caster sugar
3. 2 eggs
4. 200 g/ 1 ½ cups/ 7 oz plain flour
5. 25 g/ 1 oz/5 tsp cacao powder
6. 2 tsp baking powder
7. 145 ml/ ½ cup/ 4 fl oz whole buttermilk

Preheat oven to moderate 180 C/356 F/ Gas Mark 4. Line three deep 12-cup patty tins with green paper cases.

Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition.

Using a spoon, fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and cacao powder alternately with the buttermilk. Stir until just combined and mixture is smooth.

Spoon tablespoons of mixture into prepared tins. Bake for 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in centre of cakes.

Leave cakes for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Biscuits (crocodile’s head and tail)

1. 60 g/ ¼ cup/2 oz butter
2. 25 g/ 1/8 cup/ 2 tbsp caster sugar
3. 1 egg yolk
4. 140 g/ 1 ¼ cups/5 oz all purpose-flour

Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F/ Gas Mark 6. Brush biscuit tray with melted butter or oil, line the base with paper, grease paper.

Using electric beater, beat butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add the egg yolk, beat well.

Using a spoon, fold in the combined sifted flour. Stir to form a stiff dough. Shape the dough into a ball. Leave dough, covered with plastic wrap, in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Roll pastry between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 5 mm thickness. Cut head and tail, as shown in the picture. Place pastry shapes onto prepared trays.

Bake until firm and pale golden. Leave biscuits on trays for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

When cool, spread with icing using a flat-bladed knife.

Icing for tail and head

1. 200 g/ 1 ¾ cups/7 oz icing sugar, sifted
2. 30 ml/2 tbsp boiling water
3. 5 g/1 tsp citric acid
4. Green food coloring

Combine the sifted icing sugar, boiling water, citric acid to form a spreadable glaze. Leave for 10 minutes.

Stir in the food coloring. Using electric beater, beat the mixture for 1 minute.

Spread this mixture on the biscuits.

Form crocodile’s eyes from cheerios

Icing for teeth, cupcakes and back

1. 125 g/ ½ cup/4.4 oz cream cheese
2. 30 g/ ¼ cup/ 2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
3. 2 tsp grated orange rind
4. 1 tsp honey
5. 1 tsp orange juice
6. Green food coloring

Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until soft and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients (except food coloring), beating for 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

Put aside two tbsp white icing for teeth, the remaining icing mix well with the food coloring.

Spread green icing over cupcakes, put on head and tail. Form teeth with white icing, decorate tail and nose with green icing.

Crocodiles will keep up to 2 days in an airtight container.