Serves: 8

When do the schools go back? 'Not soon enough', to quote one member of the Sainsbury's magazine team. If you're counting down the days and are searching for ideas to keep the kids occupied, get them to roll up their sleeves and help bake a batch of Jo Wheatley's ice-cream cornet cupcakes – the perfect activity for entertaining little ones and their friends.

How are you keeping the kids entertained this summer holiday? Share your ideas with us in the comments box below.

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE MIXTURE:
• 100g margarine
• 75g caster sugar
• 75g self-raising flour
• 25g plain flour
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk
• 8 ice-cream cup cornets (the flat-bottomed ones made by Askeys)
• FOR THE BUTTERCREAM:
• 300g icing sugar
• 50g soft unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• TO DECORATE:
• red cherries with stems, sprinkles, chocolate flakes, and chocolate or strawberry sauce

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the margarine, sugar, both types of flour, eggs, vanilla extract and milk.
3. Put the cup cornets on a baking tray, transfer the cake mixture to a piping bag, then pipe the mixture evenly among the cornets.
4. Bake the filled cornets for 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch. Leave to cool completely.
5. For the buttercream, whisk together the icing sugar, butter, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of boiling water for 5-6 minutes, or until very light and fluffy.
6. To finish, spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle.
7. Pipe swirls of buttercream on top of the baked sponges in the cornets to look like ice cream. Decorate with cherries, sprinkles, chocolate flakes and sauces.

Tip

Adding a few drops of boiling water to the buttercream gives it great shine and a smooth consistency.