It was big A’s 6th birthday on Friday. I can’t believe the years have flashed by so fast. It feels like only yesterday that she was born. Without doubt the BEST day of my entire life (and the birth of little Z, of course). It changes your life so dramatically and the amount of love that pours from you to your offspring brings an indescribable warmth and happiness. Its sounds very cheesy I know, but I promise its true.  Even friends who swore they weren’t at all maternal have their first baby and then BOOM, it hits them like a bolt out of the blue and they too become completely and utterly smitten for their newborn. Our bodies work in mysterious ways. I have very fond memories of the day both my daughters were born.

As is tradition at my daughter’s school, the birthday boy or girl takes in cakes for the class to share after lunch. So yesterday I baked away using adorable Moomin cupcake cases designed and created by my favourite cake case accessory company Kala:s Farm, who are based in Sweden.

To hear how I came across this fabulous little company to begin with click here.

Anyway according to big A the chocolate cakes, with a simple butter icing covered in lilac, gold, pink and green edible glitter, were a huge hit and all her friends loved the moomin cake cases.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Butter Icing 

serves 24 hungry children 

180 degrees for 25 minutes

Sponge

225g butter/soft margarine

225g caster sugar

225g self raising flour

4 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp of boiling water

Butter Icing

225g butter

35g cocoa powder

375g icing sugar, sifted

little milk

1. Mix the butter (I use half butter half soft margarine), caster sugar, self raising flour, baking powder and eggs together in a blender. Equally you can do this manually in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

2. Put the boiling water with the cocoa powder and stir until it is no longer lumpy. Leave to cool and then add to the sponge mix.

3. Place two teaspoons of cake mixture into each cupcake case, if you are using the same size cases as pictured here.

4. Place on a tray in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. When they are cooked leave to cool completely before icing.

5. To make the butter icing literally mix all the ingredients together except the milk, which is best to add in gradually to reach the consistency you require. You will find that you will need very little – possibly one or two teaspoons.

6. Sprinkle with edible glitter and serve to an audience of delighted children.