Children In Need is a huge charity in the UK and every November they have a big fundraising campaign. These Children In Need Cupcakes feature their mascot, Pudsey Bear, and they would be perfect for a charity bake sale! They are vanilla cupcakes decorated with coloured coconut for Pudsey's fur, and fondant for his facial features. I'm not a fondant expert at all, so I can assure you the fondant decorations for these Children In Need Cupcakes are really easy to make with a few simple tools.
Step by step...
To make the cupcakes I started by creaming the butter and sugar together. Then I added the eggs and vanilla and whisked them in.
I added the self raising flour and whisked in, then I divided the mixture between cupcake cases.
The cupcakes baked for 20-25 minutes until golden.
I made all of the fondant decorations and left them to dry out.
To dye the coconut flakes, I mixed yellow food colouring with some water then added it to the coconut and mixed in until it was yellow.
I made a vanilla buttercream and spread it over the cupcakes, then I sprinkled and pressed the yellow coconut onto it.
Then I added the facial features and Pudsey's face appeared!
The Children In Need Cupcakes looked so fun and cute! They will go down a storm at your charity bake sale!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
| Cupcake tin | Electric hand mixer | Yellow cupcake cases |
| White fondant | Red fondant | Green fondant |
| Yellow food colouring | Blue fondant | Round fondant cutters |
| Black fondant | Yellow fondant | Food paint brushes |
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Children In Need Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 175 g Butter or baking spread
- 175 g Caster sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 175 g Self raising flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
For decoration
- 75 g Dessicated coconut
- Yellow food colouring I use Pro Gel or Sugarflair
- 100 g Yellow fondant
- 100 g Red fondant
- 250 g White fondant
- 100 g Black fondant
- 100 g Blue fondant
- 100 g Green fondant
For the buttercream
- 150 g Butter
- 300 g Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
For the fondant decorations
- If you're not familiar with fondant, here are a few tips: make sure to roll the fondant out using plenty of icing sugar underneath it and on a silicone mat with a silicone rolling pin. Try not to let too much icing sugar get on top of the fondant as this can effect the colour. You can use a small dry brush to brush any excess icing sugar off the fondant shapes once they've dried out
- To make the eyes, roll out some white fondant and cut out 12 circles using a 16mm round fondant plunger. Then roll out black fondant and cut out 12 circles using a 10mm round fondant plunger. Use a little water applied with a small brush to stick the black circles on top of the white circles. Leave to dry
- To make the ears, roll out some yellow fondant and cut out 24 circles using a 16mm round fondant plunger. Pinch one side of the circles to create the ear shape, then leave to dry
- To make the nose and mouth, roll out some black fondant and cut out 12 circles using a 16mm round fondant plunger. Then use a 12mm round fondant plunger to cut out a section of the black circles so you create a mouth shape. The cut out section will be the nose. Leave to dry
- To make the bandages, use a piece of paper measured against a cupcake to create a template. Use the template to cut out 12 bandage shapes. Then roll out green fondant and cut out 12 10mm circles using a round fondant plunger. Repeat with the yellow, blue and red fondant. Use a little water applied with a small brush to stick the red, yellow, blue and green circles on top of the white bandages. Leave to dry
For the cupcakes
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a muffin/cupcake tin with yellow cupcake cases
- For the cupcakes, cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, ideally with an electric mixer
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk them in
- Then whisk in the self raising flour gently, ideally with a hand whisk
- Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, then put them on a rack to cool fully
- To colour the desiccated coconut, mix two or three blobs/drops of food colouring (depending on strength) with 1 ½ tbsp water, mix it into the coconut. Add more if it doesn't go as yellow as you want
- To make the buttercream, mix together the butter and icing sugar with a spoon or electric hand whisk, when it starts to come together, add the vanilla and mix until smooth. If the buttercream is too stiff then you can add some milk to it
- Using a knife, spread some of the buttercream out onto the top of one of the fully cooled cupcakes
- Dip the frosted side of the cake into the bowl of yellow coconut flakes, and press firmly until fully coated. Add extra with a spoon if needed, pressing the coconut into the buttercream, and shake off any excess
- Then add the fondant decorations, using buttercream to glue them down
- Keep in a cool place, and eat leftovers within 3 days
Sarah Barnes
They look fab Kat!
Wendy M
They look brilliant