Instructions

1. For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake liners.
2. Sieve together the flour, cocoa powder and raising agents in a large bowl. Whisk in caster sugar and salt. In a medium sized jug, whisk together the wet ingredients except the boiling water.
3. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or electric mixer until mixture is smooth. Slowly add the boiling water and mix until well combined. The batter will be very liquid.
4. Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes in the muffin tin, then remove cupcakes from tin and leave to cool completely before decorating.
5. For the vanilla sponge, keep oven at 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease a 20cm (8inch) round baking tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.
6. In a bowl, mix together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until mostly smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until batter is smooth. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely in the baking tin on a wire rack. Place in the freezer and leave the cake in the tin, this will make it easier to scoop out the little cake balls.
8. For the buttercream frosting, beat butter in a medium sized bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and start mixing on lowest speed until dry ingredients are mostly mixed in.
9. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix on medium-medium high speed until frosting is smooth. Cover bowl with clingfilm and set aside until needed.
10. For the glacé icing, combine icing sugar with 2 tbsp water, mix well. Add more water until icing is a good dipping consistency. Cover bowl with clingfilm and set aside until needed.
11. To assemble the cupcakes, place crushed cookie crumbs and coconut in separate bowls and have buttercream and glacé icing mixed and ready.
12. For the bunny bums, use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop 12 small balls from the frozen vanilla cake. Place a cake ball on a toothpick (through the flat end which won’t be coated) and then dip just the rounded side into the glacé icing, let excess icing drip off, then coat with coconut. Remove toothpick and place coated cake ball on a piece of parchment, then repeat for the remaining cake balls.
13. For the tails, place a white mini marshmallow on a toothpick then dip into the glacé icing, let excess icing drip off, then coat with coconut. Remove toothpick and place coated marshmallow on a piece of parchment, then repeat for the remaining 11 marshmallows.
14. For the feet, melt white candymelts in the microwave in short bursts until melted, you may need to add a bit of canola or sunflower oil so that the melted candymelts aren’t too thick which will make it easier to pipe. If using white chocolate, melt on low power in the microwave just until melted. Fill piping bag or freezer bag with melted candymelts or chocolate, snip off the very tip of the bag and then pipe 12 sets of feet onto parchment paper in the shape of tear drops. Leave to set.
15. Empty some of the melted candymelts or chocolate into a bowl and either colour pink using a toothpick tip of red paste colouring, or mix in a small bit of melted red candymelt. (Alternatively, you can just use melted pink candymelts.) Fill a piping bag or freezer bag with the pink chocolate, snip off the very tip of the bag and then pipe the padding onto the feet. Leave to set.
16. Use a blunt knife or small spatula to spread buttercream icing on top of a cupcake, then dip into the crushed cookie crumbs to coat the frosting in “dirt”. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
17. To stick the bunny bum onto the cupcake, use white melted candymelts or chocolate as glue, piping a small amount onto the uncoated part of the bunny bum, then sticking that onto the cupcake. Do the same to attach the tails and feet to the bunny body.
18. Will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container