Cupcakes on sticks

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup premium flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup whole milk at room temperature
• Special equipmentIngredients: 2 x 12 mini muffin tins, 24 mini cupcake liners, 24 lollipop sticks, 6 large disposable piping bags, A1 (or medium) round tip, foam board or tall containers filled with sugar or sprinkles.

Butter cream

• 165 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• A pinch of fine salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tbsp. whole milk at room temperature
• 5 drops bright yellow gel food coloring
• 4-5 drops of green gel food coloring
• 4-5 drops of sky blue gel food coloring
• 2-3 drops of violet gel food coloring
• 4 drops neon pink gel food coloring
• 24 gummy candies

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line two 12-cup mini muffin tins with paper cups.
2. Cupcakes:
   
   In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 4 minutes.
3. Beat in the egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low; beat in half the flour mixture, then add all the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Transfer the cupcake liners to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and let them cool completely on the rack.
5. Butter cream:
   
   In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and increase the mixer speed to medium. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 more minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and beat until fully incorporated. Add more milk, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until the cream is thick but spreadable.
6. Divide the buttercream evenly among five bowls, about 1/3 cup each. Add yellow food coloring to one bowl and stir until streak-free. Tint the buttercream in the remaining bowls with green, blue, purple, and pink food coloring. Spoon the buttercream into disposable pastry bags without tips; then snip the tip of each bag to create a roughly 2cm opening.
7. Prepare a sixth pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip; this will be the decorating bag.
8. Holding the decorating bag in one hand and the bag of yellow frosting in the other, pipe a vertical strip of yellow frosting about 2.5 cm thick into the decorating bag. Repeat with the remaining colors, working around the edge of the decorating bag to create stripes of each color. Leave at least 12 cm of space at the top so you can close the bag. Make sure the bag isn't overfilled; you can add more frosting later if needed.
9. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, thread them onto lollipop sticks by using the tip of a knife to poke small holes through the paper at the bottom to accommodate the sticks.
10. Cut 0.3 cm thick pieces from each gummy bear to create a flat side. Insert a lollipop stick into the bear from the convex side, extending about 2 cm above the flat side. This will be where the cupcake will sit.
11. Then insert a lollipop stick into the hole at the bottom of the cupcake and press the cupcake down onto the candy. The stick shouldn't pierce the cupcake all the way through; if the cupcake feels wobbly, push the candy down a little further and push the cupcake down further. Push the cupcake sticks into foam or place them in tall containers filled with sugar or sprinkles.
12. Holding the cupcake in one hand and a piping bag in the other, pipe frosting onto the cupcake, starting from the center, in a swirl. Place the decorated cupcake back into the foam core so it stands upright. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Serve cupcakes immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days; remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving..