I was recently volunteered by my partner to bake for his work team’s ‘bake off’. Now the competitive streak in me came forth rather considerably and I launched myself into cupcake Christmas decoration research via the internet. I looked through a lot of Christmas cupcake designs and because I know my limits as a cupcake decorator, I chose the relatively simple but classic Christmas holly design. I can do that I thought!

The cupcakes are Red Velvet with cream cheese icing and green sparkles. The holly decoration consists of three ‘Jaffas’ (or Chocolate Ojays if you are not a Kiwi) and two spearmint leaves. I’d forgotten how delicious spearmint leaves were and had a little trouble resisting them.

It was my first foray into baking Red Velvet cakes of any kind and I really enjoyed making them (though I didn’t enjoy realising I was running out of cocoa and sugar at about 8pm last night!). I made two dozen of the cup cakes and delivered them to some lucky engineers (along with some Christmas cake and shortbread).

The recipe for the cup cakes (and they were delicious) is on the Chelsea website at http://www.chelsea.co.nz/browse-recipes/laras-red-velvet-cupcakes/