Preheat the oven to 190℃ (170℃ fan)/375°F/gas mark 5. Place 10 muffin sized cases into the muffin tray.

Place the 175g (6oz) butter and 175g (6oz) caster sugar into a mixing bowl and beat together until very pale and fluffy Beat in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat again to combine. Gradually add 3 beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in 1 tablespoon milk. Sieve 175g (6oz) flour into the mixture and gently fold in with a spatula or large metal spoon.

Divide the mixture equally between the 10 muffin cases and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until risen and springy to the touch. allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Beat 75g (3oz) softened butter until soft and creamy. Sieve785g (3oz) icing sugar into the bowl and beat to combine.then sieve in another 75g (3oz) icing sugar beat again to combine. Add ½tsp vanilla extract and a little milk and beat until light and fluffy.

Spread about a teaspoon of the buttercream over the top of the cupcake. There’s no need to take the buttercream all the way to the edge of the cupcakes

Add a very small amount of red fondant to 200g (7oz) of the white fondant and knead together until you have a soft pink.  Dust the work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out some of the pink fondant until about be 2-3mm (⅛ in) thick. Cut out discs of the fondant using the plain round cookie cutter that is slightly bigger than the tops of the cupcakes.

Place one of the discs onto the cupcake. Use the plump area at the base of your thumb to gently press onto the cupcake.

To make Santas hat, knead the red fondant until it is soft and pliable. Roll it out a little thinner than the pink fondant. Use the cutter to cut a disc of fondant. Cut it in two, one piece being slightly smaller than the other. Apply a small amount of water with a brush to the area of the cupcake where the hat will be positioned. Place the smaller half circle onto the cupcake. Use the plump area at the base of your thumb to gently secure the red fondant in place.

Roll out a piece of white fondant, for the fur trim to about 2-3mm (⅛ in) thick and cut a long oblong shape. Lay it gently against the cupcake to ensure you’re happy with the width. Apply a small amount of water to the edge of the red fondant on the cake. Lay the white strip on top & gently press to attach. Use the knife to trim away any excess white fondant from the sides of the cupcake.

To make Santa’s beard, roll out a piece of white fondant, about 2-3mm (⅛ in) thick. Cut a disc with the cookie cutter. Cut the circle of white fondant in half, again so that one half is slightly smaller than the other. Gently lay the smaller piece on the cupcake to ensure you’re happy with the size.  Adjust its size if necessary.  Fix it in place with a little water.

To make his eyes, roll a small piece of white fondant (about the size of a small pea) between your hands to create a ball. Gently flatten it to create a white disc. Repeat to create another white disc of similar size. Fix the two white discs to Santa’s face with a little water. Make two smaller discs with the blue fondant in the same way then fix the them onto the white discs. Use a tiny amount of black fondant to create the pupils.

To shape Santa’s moustache. Take a piece of white fondant. Roll it into a ball. Cut in half equally. Roll each piece into a ball between your hands and then, continuing to roll, apply a little extra pressure to one side of the ball to create a tear-drop shape. Flatten the tear drop to create a rounded triangle shape. Lay the moustache pieces on the cupcake to ensure you’re happy with the size, then fix in place with a little water

Take a small piece of the pink fondant for his nose and roll it into a ball between the palms of your hands and fix inlace with water.

To complete Santa’s hat. Roll out a piece of red fondant to 2-3mm thick. Use the cutter to cut a disc and then use a knife to create a crescent shape, using the rounded side of the fondant disc as one side of the crescent. Fix it in place with water. With a little white fondant roll a ball for the pom-pom on the end of Santa’s hat and fix in place

Use a cake modelling tool (Dresden tool), or the back of a small paring knife to gently ‘knock’ the moustache and beard as well as the hat’s trim and pompom to give it texture

Repeat with all the cakes.