Pumpkin and Ginger Halloween Cupcakes

Directions

1. Set your oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Place fairy cake cases in 18 holes across two 12-hole trays (or bake in two rounds).
2. Chop the pumpkin into small cubes and boil for 15 minutes until soft. Drain well, return to the pan, and mash. Press the mash between layers of kitchen paper to remove excess moisture.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the grated ginger, softened butter, light brown sugar, eggs, self-raising flour, and baking powder. Beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Then briefly mix in the pumpkin purée and sultanas.
4. Fill each case about three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes until the cupcakes have risen and feel springy when touched. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before decorating.
5. For pumpkin faces: Boil 250g sliced carrots for 20 minutes until very tender. Drain, cool, then blend into a smooth purée. Add 125g softened butter, 175g icing sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice; blend until smooth. If the mixture separates, add extra icing sugar and blend again. Transfer to a piping bag with a 2.5cm tip cut off. Pipe 1cm-thick lines back and forth across each cupcake. Cut small kiwi fruit pieces for stalks and press them into the top. Slice skin from large black grapes, cut zigzag mouth shapes, and gently push them in. Use triangle-shaped grape skin pieces for eyes and noses.
6. For cute spooks: Peel, core, and dice 2 small cooking apples. Place in a pan with 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice, cover, and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Mash well, then let cool in a bowl. Add 375g creamy soft cheese, 75g icing sugar, and 75g soft butter. Whisk until smooth, then chill for 1 hour to firm up. Spoon into a piping bag (in batches if needed) with a 3.5cm tip. Pipe swirls of frosting on each cupcake, trailing off to a point at the top. Cut oval shapes from blueberry skin for eyes.
7. For creepy crawly: Beat 250g creamy soft cheese with 50g icing sugar and a little green food coloring until smooth. Spread this over the cupcakes. Melt 50g milk or plain chocolate and pour into a piping bag with the smallest tip possible. Pipe fine lines to create spider webs over about a third of the cakes. For spiders: press a red or black grape onto half the remaining cakes, with a blueberry in front. Cut 3cm lengths of liquorice Catherine wheels, then slice into thin strips for legs. Pipe dots of chocolate for eyes. For centipedes: halve small blueberries and arrange them in a curved line on the last cakes. Add a larger blueberry half for the head and a pointed piece for the tail, then pipe chocolate legs and eyes.