Honey Bee Cupcakes

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 160C and line a cupcake tin with cases

Step 2

In a large bowl add the sugar and butter and beat together with a hand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy

Step 3

Beat the eggs into the mixture with a hand mixer or wooden spoon

Step 4

Sift in the flour, then add the honey, orange extract, zest and juice all at once and beat it together until just combined and no flour is showing.

Step 5

If you're adding the honeycomb pieces add them now and fold them through gentle. If you don't want to use honeycomb pieces you could use white chocolate instead or candied orange zest instead.

Step 6

Split the mixture between your cupcakes cases and bake for 20 minutes until golden and springy to touch. Once baked leave them to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lay onto a wire rack to cool completely before piping the buttercream.

Step 7

To make the buttercream, beat together soft butter, icing sugar and melted white chocolate until smooth. If you feel that the mixture isn't loose enough add a splash of hot water or milk until you have a good consistency that is firm but pliable.

Step 8

Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip piping nozzle and pipe beehive swirls on top of each cupcake. Finish with a shard or chocolate honeycomb and some decorative bees.