If you live in the US, you might have heard of Smarties, but they're a totally different type of chocolate from the type in this recipe. Confusing, I know! It's because the US company had already trademarked the name ‘Smarties’ in the US. First, you can simply buy a vegan alternative to butter. There are many great alternatives to butter available in supermarkets, and many UK supermarkets have begun to offer their own brand of vegan butter. If you have a very warm kitchen, they might be better off in the fridge but this can alter the texture of the sponge. If chilled, leave your cupcakes in a sealed container on the counter for an hour before serving them so they return to room temperature. Don’t worry if you can’t get hold of any piping kit. Even frosting the cupcakes with a spoon will look great! What are Smarties and where can I buy them? If you want to make your Reindeer cupcakes even more festive, you could add orange zest to the cake batter for a chocolate orange flavour. You could also experiment with adding seasonal spices like cinnamon or nutmeg to sponges or buttercream.

This is a pretty straightforward recipe, so you probably already have all the kit you need to make your reindeer cupcakes.It’s important to note that these dates and guidelines are only valid if you store your eggs as the box advises you to. A Use By/Expiration/Best Before date has been calculated for eggs tested and stored below a certain temperature, so if you store your eggs on the counter instead of the fridge then they may have spoiled well before that date. These Reindeer cupcakes contain a fair amount of sugar and fat, so they’re best enjoyed as a luxurious festive treat. For most people, unless advised by your health professional, there's nothing wrong with cake as part of a balanced diet. Are Reindeer cupcakes safe to eat while pregnant?

There's a full list of suggested equipment on the recipe card below. The only thing you might not have is a piping bag with a nozzle for decoration. I recommend using a French tip (as used in these pictures) or closed star tip which gives wider waves. I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour yet, but I always recommend using a good quality blend. The best gluten-free flours will usually be made from a blend of different flours such as rice flour, and oat flour, raising agents and a binding agent such as xanthan gum.

Over-mixing. If your ingredients are all fresh and in date, then you may have over-mixed the cake batter. Over mixing cake batter can over-activate the gluten, which will make your cakes dense and tough so they struggle to rise. Chilling them will keep them fresh for up to 5 days, but it can affect the texture and flavour, so remember to let them come to room temperature before serving. Can I freeze Reindeer cupcakes? Giant chocolate buttons are very common in the UK, so you can usually find them everywhere from corner shops to supermarkets, train stations to airports. I used Cadbury Bournville Giant Buttons for this recipe. Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons are widely available and would work well too tablespoons of applesauce. Yes, applesauce! This is because of a natural chemical found in apples called ‘pectin’. Pectin is activated when apples are cooked into a sauce and so it acts in a similar way to eggs. If you use applesauce as an alternative to eggs then remember it might make your sponge mix sweeter. The chocolate buttercream frosting is easy to make - you simply whisk the butter, icing sugar, cocoa and a splash of milk together until light and creamy!