These Reindeer cupcakes will freeze really well, even with the frosting! The only thing that might go soft is the antlers, so you might want to have some fresh pretzels to hand in case you need to replace them on thawing. However, if you live somewhere cooler it might be acceptable to keep your eggs on the counter or in the fridge and you might find eggs on the ambient aisle. However, in the UK it is advised that eggs be kept consistently below 20C and so even though you see them in the cool supermarket on the shelf, at home, you are best keeping them in the fridge. Even cool kitchens fluctuate in temperature during cooking, especially when the oven is on. Just make sure to find a vegan butter with a fat content of around 80% (80g per 100g) so that it behaves a similar way to butter. Does it matter if I use baking margarine or butter in the sponges?

For the sponges, you’ll need measuring scales, a mixing bowl, and measuring spoons, a bowl and sieve, a whisk or stand mixer, cupcake cases and a muffin tray. For the frosting, you’ll also need a piping bag and star nozzle. If you don't have cocoa but still want a chocolate frosting, you could use about 50g of melted dark chocolate in place of the cocoa. Make sure it's cooled before adding to the frosting and beating through. Can I make the frosting without butter?This is a pretty straightforward recipe, so you probably already have all the kit you need to make your reindeer cupcakes. In supermarkets, you'll usually find the pretzels alongside the with crisps/chips in bags. They typically come baked plain with salt. However, sometimes they’re flavoured with ingredients like pepper, sour cream and onion, garlic, sugar, caramel or cinnamon. The butter is what gives the frosting it’s body and texture, so it’s essential to the recipe. If you need to avoid dairy, you could always use a vegan butter instead.

Feel free to use a stand mixer to mix both the chocolate sponge batter and the chocolate buttercream, if you like. Make sure to keep your cupcakesin a single layer within your container so as not to squash the frosting. If you are in a vulnerable or at risk group such as older people, people living with health conditions or someone who is pregnant, then food safety is particularly important. All you need to do is transfer the container to the fridge and forget about them until the next day.There's a full list of suggested equipment on the recipe card below. The only thing you might not have is a piping bag with a nozzle for decoration. I recommend using a French tip (as used in these pictures) or closed star tip which gives wider waves. If you live in the US, you might have heard of Smarties, but they're a totally different type of chocolate from the type in this recipe. Confusing, I know! It's because the US company had already trademarked the name ‘Smarties’ in the US. Alternatively, you could make the cupcake sponges ahead of time and then either pop them in a sealed container to decorate the next day, or freeze them undecorated well ahead of time. If you freeze your cupcakes they should keep for up to three months. There's more advice on freezing cupcakes below. Can I leave Reindeer cupcakes out on the counter?

This buttercream frosting is quite hard to split compared to a cream cheese frosting, for example, as it's a simple, stable mix of cocoa, butter and icing sugar. If your buttercream has split then it may be because there was too much milk added to it, or the butter and icing sugar haven't been beaten together for long enough. You could make them up entirely and pop them in a sealed container somewhere cool, ready to serve the next day. Minimum life based on 'use-by' date of product. Average life based on last week's deliveries. Life guarantee shown based on delivery tomorrow with the Life guarantee starting the following day.If you leave the cocoa out, you probably won't need the milk in either the frosting or the sponges, and your reindeers will be yellow.