To make the sponge cupcakes

Preheat oven to 175°C/gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with foil cases.

Sieve the flour, baking powder and soda, cocoa and salt together in a bowl. Place the butter and sugar in a separate bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract. Add the beaten egg gradually, mixing well after each addition.

Once the egg has been incorporated, fold in the sifted dry ingredients a few spoonfuls at a time, alternating with the milk.

Fill the cases three-quarters full only with the sponge mixture. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack then store in an airtight container.

To decorate

For each leg, roll out an 8cm length of white icing about 6mm thick. Repeat with the black icing, but roll it to half the thickness. To create the stripes lay one end of the black icing on the white at an angle and then roll, pressing lightly as you go (1).

For each shoe, roll out a 2cm ball of red icing, then flatten it slightly. Make a small divot where the leg inserts into the shoe and then form the other end into a point for the toe. Using cake glue or egg white, fix a striped leg to each shoe. Shape the shoe’s heel using a wooden skewer (2). Sprinkle over edible red glitter (3). Leave the legs and shoes to harden overnight.

Lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar. Roll out the green icing to a thickness of 3mm. Using a round serrated cookie cutter slightly wider that the tops of the cupcakes, press out twelve green skirts.

To assemble, for each cake place a small circle of baking parchment on your serving plate and sit a pair of legs on top. Brush a thin layer of apricot jam on the tops of the legs and lay a green skirt over the legs. Brush another layer of jam over the skirt, place an upside-down cupcake on top and gently press.