Easter is almost here which means a long weekend of rest, recuperation and delicious, Easter Cupcakes! There are many wonderful things to celebrate at this time of year, Spring is FINALLY here, there is soon going to be a shed load of discounted Easter Eggs in supermarkets and it is the perfect time of year to spend with friends and family.
Why not be your own Easter bunny this year and make a round of cupcake deliveries to all your loved ones!
We love this recipe from seasoned baker Kirsty Hall from the Sweet Taste Bakery. We are looking forward to working with Kirsty to bring you some exclusive recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth.
This recipe is for what we could only describe as THE ultimate Easter Cup Cakes. Kirsty has given us two different recipes, one for Chocolate Easter Cupcakes and Vanilla Easter Cupcakes. They feature delicious buttercream and mouth watering chocolate nests!
Let’s hop to it!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 85g self raising flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 100g caster sugar
- 30g cocoa powder
- 80ml vegetable oil
- 1/4tsp salt
- 1tsp ground coffee
- 1 large eggs (room temperature)
- 80ml milk
- 1tbsp sour cream
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 60g self raising flour
- 60g caster sugar
- 60g unsalted butter
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 large eggs
- 2tbsp natural yoghurt
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 250g softened unsalted butter
- 600g icing sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3tbsp milk
- Pink food colouring
Nests
- 300g milk chocolate
- 100g Shredded Wheat cereal
- 36 Mini Eggs
Drizzle
- 15g chocolate
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 140°C (280°F, gas mark 1) and place 12 cupcake cases into a muffin tin. The brighter and more colourful the cases the better – we love a fun, festive cupcake!
Step 2
The first thing on the agenda is making the chocolate nests! First line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20 seconds bursts, this avoids burning the chocolate and it exploding all over the microwave! Break up the Shredded Wheat then add to the melted chocolate mix until all of the cereal is coated. Spoon the mixture out onto the baking sheet, making 12 nests. Top each nest with three Mini Eggs and leave to set.
Step 3
To make the chocolate cupcakes, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and ground coffee into a bowl, whisk until thoroughly combined. In a large jug, whisk together the oil, milk, egg, sour cream and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together.
Step 4
For the vanilla cupcakes, use a large bowl and cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, yoghurt and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, and fold together. Be careful not to overmix – stop when you can’t see anymore flour.
Step 5
Divide the chocolate and vanilla cupcake batter between your prepared cases and bake in your preheated oven for 22-25 minutes. Let your cupcakes cool for 10 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool.
Step 6
While your cupcakes cool, make your buttercream. Using a mixer, beat the butter on a low-medium speed for five minutes, until it goes pale and gains some volume. Sift in the icing sugar about 100g at a time, beating on a low setting between each addition. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk, a couple of drops of pink food colouring and the vanilla extract, and give it one final mix.
Step 7
Next, make your chocolate drizzle. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and mix in a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil. Allow the drizzle to cool slightly. Add your buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large round piping nozzle and pipe a bulb onto each cupcake.
Step 8
Dip a teaspoon into the chocolate drizzle and wave it over the top of the cupcakes.
Step 9
Top each cupcake with your chocolate nests and enjoy!
Make sure you tag Weird Fish and Kirsty (@thesweettastebakery) on social media if you try this recipe!
