This week I’ve teamed up with Num Noms, who challenged me to create a fun Num Noms themed cupcakes recipe.
My kids love their Num Noms, and have quite a collection of them now! They are really cute food themed collectibles which can be mixed and matched to create some really wacky flavour combinations. They’re scented too, and smell delicious, which adds to the food themed fun!
I used brand new Sparkle Smoothies Num Noms for inspiration when creating my Num Noms cupcakes. These newest additions to the Num Noms range come in a smoothie cup shape with a scented Num topping. If you unscrew the straw top you’ll find all new scented, sparkly liquid lip gloss with a wand applicator.
The Sparkle Smoothies Num Noms come in a wide range of colours so I chose to make the cupcakes in a mix of rainbow colours.
To keep things simple I created the Num topping of the cupcakes from buttercream with fondant features. They are super simple to make and easy to customise so you can easily recreate any of your favourite Num Nom characters in yummy cupcake form!
If you have any trouble loading the recipe video above, click here to watch it on YouTube, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Eats Amazing YouTube channel while you are there for lots more easy recipes, tutorials and fun food ideas! You can also find the full written recipe below.
Num Noms Themed Cupcakes
Ingredients (makes 12):
For the vanilla cupcakes:
- 175g softened butter
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 175g self raising flour
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- gel food colourings (I used blue, pink, yellow & green)
For the butter icing:
- 200g softened butter
- 450g icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp milk
- gel food colourings (I used red and pink)
To decorate:
- red, pink & black fondant icing
- stripey paper straws
- pink sprinkles
- yellow writing icing
- fresh mint leaves
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas mark 4/350°F). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with 12 brightly coloured paper muffin cases.
Place the butter into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mix, whisking in between.
Sift the flour on top, and using an electric whisk on a low speed, gently blend the ingredients together. Add the milk and vanilla extract and blend again. Increase the mixer speed and whisk for a few more seconds until well mixed.
Divide the cake mixture between 4 bowls and colour each with a different gel food colouring.
Divide the cake mixture between the cupcake cases and smooth over the tops. Bake for approx. 20 minutes until risen, golden and springy to the touch.
Once the cakes are cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool. Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the fondant features, ready to decorate the cakes.
To make the eyes, roll out the black fondant and cut out small circles with a mini cutter or the tip of a straw, then add two tiny rolled pieces of black fondant for the eyelashes to each ‘eye’
To make the ears, using an oval shaped cutter to cut ear shapes from the red and pink fondants.
Make some small spirals of pink fondant.
Leave the fondant to try and set, then make the buttercream icing.
Whisk the butter with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar, a little at a time, until completely combined. Add the vanilla extract and whisk again. Add the milk in small splashes until the icing is at the correct consistency for piping.
Divide the butter icing between 3 bowls and colour one pink and one red with gel food colouring, leaving one third of the icing plain white.
Once the cakes are completely cool, decorate with swirls of butter icing and fondant features to turn them into Num Noms.
For Sprinkle Scoop
Pop the white butter icing in an icing bag with a large plain piping nozzle.
Cover the top of a cupcake with a generous round swirl of white butter icing.
Add two pink fondant ears, then top with pink sprinkles.
Gently press in a mouth and two eyes.
Cut approx. 2 cm off a stripe straw, and press it into the top of the cupcake at an angle to finish.
For Faith Frosting
Pop the pink butter icing in an icing bag with a large closed star piping nozzle.
Cover the top of a cupcake with a generous swirl of pink butter icing.
Add two pink fondant ears.
Press two mint leaves into the icing between the ears, then add a spiral of pink fondant beneath them.
Gently press in a mouth and two eyes.
Cut approx. 2 cm off a stripe straw, and press it into the top of the cupcake at an angle to finish.
For Cherry Chill
Pop the red butter icing in an icing bag with a large plain piping nozzle.
Cover the top of a cupcake with a generous round swirl of red butter icing.
Draw a spiral in the centre with the writing icing.
Add two red fondant ears, either side.
Gently press in a mouth and two eyes.
Cut approx. 2 cm off a stripe straw, and press it into the top of the cupcake at an angle to finish.
Serve and enjoy!
Sparkle Smoothies Num Noms are available now and retail at £4.99 each.
For more information and updates on all of the Num Noms products, why not follow Num Noms on Twitter or Facebook or check out their website here.
Grace
Disclosure: This recipe, blog post and video was commissioned by Num Noms. I received a selection of Num Nom products to try and was compensated for my time and the cost of ingredients, however all opinions expressed in this post are my own.
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