Bonfire Night Cupcakes

Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot… Bonfire Night happens in the United Kingdom on the 5th of November to mark the anniversary of Guy Fawkes, who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. I made these cupcakes for BBC Radio Lancashire when I visited the studio in Blackburn, and they are based on my parsnip and maple syrup cake — simply divided into muffin cases and decorated like little edible bonfires.

I used the same frosting recipe but broke chocolate‑orange Matchmakers into thirds for the “wood”, and coloured half the frosting orange and the other half red. Placing both colours side‑by‑side in the piping bag creates a gorgeous two‑tone flame. A sprinkle of glitter finishes them with a magical sparkle.

Happy Bonfire Night, my little firecrackers… x

You will need

• 1 batch parsnip & maple syrup cake mixture
• 1 batch frosting
• 16–18 chocolate‑orange Matchmakers
• Sprinkles and edible glitter
• Popping candy (optional, for fizz and bang!)

What you do

Make the cupcakes

1. Follow the parsnip & maple syrup cake recipe, but divide the mixture into 16–18 cupcake cases.
2. Bake for 25–35 minutes or until golden brown and a cocktail stick comes out clean.
3. Leave to cool completely.

Make the frosting

1. Prepare the frosting as usual.
2. Divide the mixture in half — colour one half orange and the other red.
3. Carefully spoon both colours side‑by‑side into a piping bag to create a flame effect.
4. Pipe small flames onto each cooled cupcake.

Decorate

1. Break the Matchmakers into thirds and place three pieces upright in each cupcake to resemble bonfire wood.
2. Sprinkle with edible glitter and popping candy.
3. Enjoy with your exploding rockets, Catherine wheels and firecrackers!