Polka Dot Pudsey Cupcakes

I really enjoyed participating in the Baking Mad Children in Need campaign last year by baking Rainbow Pudsey Cupcakes and Smarties Cookies. When they approached me again this year, I could hardly say no. The brief for this year was to create a unique recipe for Pudsey Bear cupcakes or biscuits.  The team at Baking Mad will pick the most inventive recipe and announce a winner who will be featured on their homepage.

I really liked my rainbow cupcakes last year so had a hard time thinking of another idea. I know this is not terribly original but spots remind me of Pudsey bear so I decided to make Polka Dot cupcakes. It's a basic vanilla cupcake with Polka Dot sprinkles mixed in the batter. 

 You can buy polka dot sprinkles from most supermarket 

 they look so colourful! 

 you can still see the spots... just about 

 and even after they are baked 

 yum! 

I used my now favourite vanilla cupcake recipe - the ultimate vanilla cupcake

For the cakes
125g flour + 1 tablespoon cornflour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
113g butter
225g sugar
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 eggs yolk

35g polka dot sprinkles

For the frosting 
250g icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g butter

10g polka dot sprinkles to decorate

• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Sift the flours, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• In a measuring jug, whisk together sour cream, eggs and egg yolk until smotth.
• Pour half of the wet ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and stir in half of the flour mixture.
• Repeat with the remaining dry and wet ingredients. 
• Add in 35g of polka dot sprinkles and mix well. 
• Fill cases until 2/3 full. 
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes. 
• Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, place the icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. 
• Add milk, vanilla extract and salt and mix on low speed until sugar is evenly moistened. 
• Add butter and gradually increase the speed from low to medium-high. 
• Beat until fluffy and light in texture, 3 to 4 minutes.