Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Line a cupcake tin with 12 paper cases.

2. Make sure your butter (or dairy free alternative) is soft. Place the vanilla cake mix, butter, eggs and water into a large bowl. Beat together with an electric whisk for 15 seconds. Stop, scrape down the bowl and mix for a further 10 seconds.

3. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, filling three-quarters full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 3 minutes before lifting out and leaving to cool completely.

4. To make the buttercream, beat the butter or dairy free alternative with a spatula or electric whisk in a large bowl until it is soft and smooth. Sift in half the icing sugar and mix well until combined. Sift over the remaining icing sugar and mix well, adding the milk or dairy free alternative as required, to create a soft spreadable icing. Beat well until light and fluffy.

5. Divide the buttercream into two bowls. Add pink food colouring to one bowl and leave the other one as it is.

6. Place the large star nozzle into your piping bad and spoon the plain buttercream into one side of the piping bag. Then, place the pink frosting in the other side.

7. Make a rose effect on top of the cupcakes by frosting the cupcakes starting in the centre and frosting around the cupcake until you reach the edge.

8. To assemble the bouquet, place the polystyrene ball in the bucket or flower pot. Carefully insert 12 cocktail sticks into the ball, roughly 8 around the bottom and 4 around the top. One at a time, push the cupcakes into each cocktail stick.

9. Cut the green tissue paper into small squares, fold in half, then half again, to create the leaves. Ruffle them up a little for a more natural look and slot them in between each cupcake.