Fright Night fancies

• ready-made vanilla cupcakes or fairy cakes12

  or make your own (see tip)

• apricot↗2 x 410g cans

  2 x 410g cans, halves in light syrup, drained (reserve the syrup)

• raspberry jam↗100g g
• icing sugar↗a little

  or cornflour, for dusting

• pack ready-to-roll white fondant icing↗500g g
• black icing pen

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Remove the cakes from their paper cases – if the tops are rounded, trim them with a serrated knife to make a flat surface. Flip the cakes over and arrange on a large board or cake stand. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup from the drained apricots, then place 1 tsp jam on top of each cake. Put an apricot half on top of the jam, rounded- side facing up.

2. 2

   Clean your work surface, then dust with a little icing sugar or cornflour. Roll out the icing to the thickness of a 50p piece – it will be easier if you work with half at a time, keeping the remaining icing well wrapped so it doesn’t dry out. Use a 12cm fluted cookie cutter to stamp out 12 circles and, as soon as you cut each one, drape it over a cake. Draw on spooky faces using the black icing pen, then serve. Can be made up to a day ahead; eat leftover cakes within 1 day.