VANILLA CUPCAKES

1. Heat the oven to 160°C, fan forced.
2. Line 8 cavities of a cupcake tin with patty pan cases.
3. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until the ingredients form a fine crumb with no large lumps of butter remaining.
4. In a jug, place the egg, cream, vanilla, and oil, and whisk by hand to combine.
5. Pour the combined liquid into the flour mixture while continuously mixing.
6. Add the milk a third at a time, allowing it to completely incorporate after each addition.
7. Divide the cupcake batter between the eight patty pans.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown in colour and they bounce back when gently pressed.
9. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.

Note: The cupcakes can be made up to 4 weeks in advance and frozen in an airtight container.

CASSATA CUSTARD CREAM

1. Place the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk by hand to combine.
2. Add the egg yolk and whisk to form a paste.
3. Place the milk, cream, and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Pour the boiled liquid over the egg yolk paste while whisking to combine.
5. Return the mixture to the saucepan and continuously whisk over medium heat while bringing to a boil. Once boiling, continue whisking for approximately 30 seconds before removing from the heat.
6. Transfer the custard into a clean bowl, then add the butter a piece at a time, whisking to incorporate after each addition.
7. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until completely cooled, approximately 30-60 minutes.
8. Add the diced fruit and chopped nuts and mix through, then assemble immediately.

Note: Prior to adding the fruit and nuts, the custard can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

ASSEMBLY

1. Slice off the domed tops of the cooled cupcakes to make the surface level with the patty pan cases and set them aside.
2. Carefully scoop out a cavity in the centre of each cupcake, ensuring the cupcake doesn’t become too thin.
3. Fill the cupcake cavities with the prepared cassata custard cream and place the tops back on.
4. Chill the cupcakes in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up slightly.
5. Remove the cupcakes from the patty pans, then arrange them in a circle on a serving plate and set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the Swiss meringue.

SWISS MERINGUE

1. Place all the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl and whisk by hand over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the water does not touch the base of the bowl.
2. Once the mixture reaches 60°C, transfer it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip to a medium peak.
3. Spread the meringue over the top and sides of the cupcakes to create a solid wreath.

Note: You can also use the stand mixer bowl over the saucepan of simmering water as long as it is not glass.

WHITE CHOCOLATE SNOWFLAKES

1. Create snowflake templates in a variety of sizes using a Cricut machine, or buy them here.
2. Temper the white chocolate by placing it into a microwave-safe plastic bowl, and heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between. Once you have 50% solids and 50% liquid, stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted. If you have some resistant buttons, you can gently heat the chocolate with a hair dryer while stirring.
3. Sieve in the titanium dioxide and stir to combine.
4. To create the snowflakes, place the stencils on top of a guitar sheet and spread the white chocolate into a thin layer on top.
5. Immediately remove the stencils and allow to set at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for 2-3 minutes.

CHOCOLATE TWIGS

1. Reserve approximately one quarter of the icing sugar, then sieve the rest over a tray.
2. Temper the milk chocolate by placing it into a microwave-safe plastic bowl, and heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between. Once you have 50% solids and 50% liquid, stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted. If you have some resistant buttons, you can gently heat the chocolate with a hair dryer while stirring.
3. Thicken the chocolate slightly by stirring in a couple of drops of water at a time.
4. Transfer the chocolate into a piping bag and cut a small tip off the end, then pipe chocolate twigs on top of the tray of icing sugar.
5. Immediately sieve the remaining icing sugar on top, then allow to set at room temperature.
6. Once set, gently remove any excess icing sugar.

FINISHING

1. Top the cupcake wreath with the prepared chocolate twigs and snowflakes.

Note: Eat on the day the cupcake wreath is assembled.

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