Easter Cupcakes

I made these Easter cupcakes for my partners science class at school after they wrote a very lovely letter asking for cakes on the last day of term.
They are an easy Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla frosting that has just been coloured and piped to look like an egg.
I have then decorated the cakes with an assortment of Cadbury eggs (miniature size of course)

Cupcake Ingredients


120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120ml whole milk
1 egg
¼tsp vanilla extract
1 quantity frosting 


Cupcake Method


Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.
Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched.
A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.




Frosting Ingredients


250g icing sugar, sifted
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
25ml whole milk
a couple of drops of vanilla extract
Yellow food colouring


Frosting Method


Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed.
Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.
Put some of the frosting in a piping bag and pipe a circle on top of the cake.
Add yellow colouring to the rest of the frosting and then pipe this into the centre of the white circles to create the look of a cracked egg.
Top with any additional decoration of your choice.


(Both Cupcake and Frosting recipes are courtesy of the Hummingbird Bakery)