ANZAC Cupcakes - from Kiwicakes test kitchen

Here's a great way to keep your crew busy for a day these school holidays - guaranteed to be a welcome treat and a great discussion point about all things ANZAC! I decided to use our new two tone cupcake pan set to achieve a colourful surprise in the middle. 

You begin by making up your favourite cupcake recipie. I actually cheated this time and used a white cake mix that you only need to add oil and water to. Really handy to have on hand in the pantry! The other advantage is that it really comes out white rather than the creamy colour butter and eggs usually give my cakes. I lined my tins with red foil baking cups, inspired by the vibrant colour of ANZAC poppies.

  

Then I divided the mixture into a few bowls and added a squirt of gel colour to each of them before spooning into disposable piping bags. This step really is essential to get the mixture cleanly into the cupcake pan insert. For some cupcakes I used red, blue and white to represent the colours we share with Australia on both of our nations flags. You simply snip off the end of each bag and squirt into the guide up to the level indicated. I was pleasantly surprised at the how easily and neatly the plastic insert is removed without the mixing of colours. Flavour and colour combinations are endless!

This is how they look when they come out of the oven. You might like to slice the top off to give you a flat surface for frosting. We thought the cupcake paper looked strikingly like an poppy when peeled off the cake!

We have a new easy frost icing in stock that I used as the Kiwicakes girls were eager to taste it. It was piped in an easy swirl using a drop star tip and came out a brilliant striking white. Sandra had a great idea of using black non pareils sprinkled on top, which look uncannily like poppy seeds. How fitting! This cupcake was finished off with some patriotic flag picks from our range.

ANZAC day wouldn't be the same without ANZAC biscuits so we rustled up a batch but spread it thinly out on a baking sheet to cook, instead of forming cookies. While the mixture was still warm from the oven I used a small star cutter to create mini ANZAC cupcake toppers.

ANZAC Biscuits

Combine...

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup caster sugar

Pour in....

• 125 grams melted butter
• 2 tablespoons warmed golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 3 tablespoons of boiling water 

Press mixture evenly onto a couple of trays (or roll into balls) and bake at 180 deg C  for ~15minutes until golden brown.

So there we have it - a whole day of fun baking and decorating in the kitchen! And a tasty tray of treats to share with your loved ones this ANZAC day. I will be taking my little family along to the dawn ceremony in town on Thursday then we'll come home and celebrate living in freedom by baking and eating together. What could be better!