Step 1

Arrange cupcakes on a 50cm x 40cm cake board starting with 3 in the first row. Then 4, then 5, then 6, then 5, then 4, then 3, then 2, then 1, lining them up so that the rows fit into the grooves of the previous row.

Step 2

Make the buttercream in 2 batches. For each batch, place 500g of butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add 1kg of icing sugar and beat at a low speed until combined, then increase speed and beat until whipped.

Step 3

Place 1/3 of the buttercream in a bowl. Add a few drops of purple gel colour and mix to combine, repeating until you have your desired colour. Place ¼ cup of the remaining buttercream in a small bow and add a few drops of red gel colour, mixing well to combine until you have your desired colour. Keep the remaining buttercream uncoloured or, if you wish, whiten with a whitener.

Step 4

Fit a 40cm disposable piping bag with a 1cm round nozzle. Fill the piping bag with the purple buttercream and pipe an outline around the first 3 rows of cupcakes, then pipe lines to fill the outline. Using a crank handled spatula, smooth the icing then in a fluid motion working vertically etch lines into the icing.

Step 5

Fit a second 40cm disposable piping bag with a 1cm round nozzle. Fill with the white buttercream and pipe swirls on each cupcake, filling in any gaps between each cupcake with a small pipe of buttercream.

Step 6

Fit a small piping bag with a 0.5mm wide round nozzle and fill with red buttercream. Pipe a round swirl on the top cupcake. Decorate the white cupcakes with a scatter of jelly beans and a black jelly bean in the red buttercream ‘cherry’ to finish.