• Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
• Separate the eggs. Add the egg whites to a bowl and add half of the sugar. Mix until soft peaks form and the egg whites are fluffy and light.
• In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks with the other half of the sugar until well combined.
• Add the vanilla essence and a pinch of salt to the egg yolks. Mix briefly.
• Add the egg yolk sugar mixture to the egg whites and mix briefly until combined.
• Sift the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch and baking powder) into a separate bowl. Mix them together with a whisk or fork. Then gradually add the dry ingredients to the fluffy egg mixture.
• Place the cupcake cases in a muffin tin and fill them with the batter. Leave around 1 cm (0.5 inches) of space below the rim to allow the batter to rise.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 175°C (350°F). Use a clean skewer to check if the cupcakes are fully baked. The skewer should come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the muffin tin for around 5 to 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• Beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Add the cream cheese, vanilla essence and a pinch of salt. Mix until combined, then add the cacao powder and mix until the frosting turns dark brown.
• Use a spatula to transfer the frosting into a piping bag. Pipe small poo-shaped swirls onto the cooled cupcakes. You can pipe them in the centre of each cupcake or, as I did, slightly off centre to leave more space for the dog skewers.
• Dip a food brush into the metallic dust (skip this step if you're using edible glitter spray). Hold the brush just above the poo swirls and tap the handle with your hand to release the dust onto the frosting.
• Insert the dog skewers into the cupcakes.