Ingredients

• FunCakes Baking Mix for Cupcakes 500g
• FunCakes Mix for Buttercream 1 kg
• FunCakes Flavour paste Speculoos
• FunCakes fondant brown 250g
• FunCakes fondant red 250g
• FunCakes Speculaas Spice 40g
• FunCakes Flavouring paste Speculaas 100g
• FunCakes Magic Roll-Out Powder 225g
• 500g soft unsalted butter
• 200 ml water
• 5 eggs
• Tumtums
• Gingerbread cookies "kruidnootjes"

Supplies

• FunCakes piping bags 41cm pk/10
• Wilton Recipe Right® Muffin Baking Mould 12 cupcakes
• Wilton Rolling Stick with Rings 22,5cm
• House of Marie Cupcake Moulds Foil Red - pk/24

Step 1: Make the mixes according to the packages

Preheat the oven to 180°C (hot air oven 160°C). Prepare 500 grams of FunCakes Mix for Cupcakes and 200 grams of FunCakes Mix for Buttercream according to the instructions on the packaging or in the basic recipes for Cupcakes and Buttercream. Add to the Cupcake batter some speculaaskruiden and to the buttercream to taste the speculaassmaakstof.

Step 2: Bake the Cupcakes until done

Put the baking cups in the muffin tray and divide the cupcake batter among the cups. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes until done. Let them cool on the counter after baking.

Step 3: Pipe tufts on the cupcakes

Fill a piping bag with nozzle #1M, turn nice buttercream rosettes on the cupcakes and decorate with the marzipan figures, peppercorns and/or some browned almond shavings. Keep a few cupcakes aside that you transform into Sinterklaas's sack.

Step 4 (extra): Make the bags with fondant

For the bags: remove the paper from the cupcake, spread the cupcake all around with speculaas buttercream and leave to set in the fridge. Roll out 250 grams of brown fondant thinly on a work surface dusted with Magic Roll-Out Powder, texture it with a printroller and cut an oblong slice half the height of the cupcake. Roll the fondant around the cupcake, pushing the bottom slightly under the cupcake and folding the top slightly to create a sort of collar. From 25 grams of red fondant, roll thin strands and tie this carefully around the bag. Fill with some tumtum and possibly some spiced nuts or marzipan figures.

Made possible by FunCakes.