Easter Cupcakes

I wanted to make adorable cupcakes for Easter, and they actually ended up adorable! Regular readers will know, I don’t fare well with cupcakes, and I would love to pretend that these came out fabulous first time round but they didn’t. Sit back, grab a cuppa and let’s get into another post of, ‘Harleigh hates cupcakes.’
 
 

They’re supposed to be so easy; something you can just do with your kids on a rainy afternoon. One should be able to knock them up in a few minutes, and any baker (or just human being) will already have the staple required ingredients in their house: butter, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, milk. That’s all right? In fact, the basic cupcake should be so easy that you can spice them up a little with say, some crushed Mini Eggs, and still come out perfectly. 

 
 
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. 
 
I followed the vanilla cupcakes recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook – a baking book I trust with my life! I have tried and tested many recipes from it, and even made these very cupcakes from it before. There was no reason for my cupcakes to come out with sunken middle, and cool to little biscuit rocks… twice! I made TWO BATCHES. 

 

 
 
Considering they’re practically inedible (I say practically because I still ate one, and mum ate two), I make inedible look good. And how adorable is this individual cupcake stand from Oliver Bonas! Complete with an equally adorable little dome too, but my chickita was too tall. 
 
 
Before you say it, I know bunnies don’t lay eggs, but I had to find a home for the rest of the Mini Eggs that wasn’t in my belly. 


 
I’m including the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook vanilla cupcake recipe because I know it was just me! I also added some crushed Mini Eggs. You make them and they’ll be perfect. 
 
 

120g plain flour 
140g caster sugar 
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder 
a pinch of salt 
40g unsalted butter, at room temperature 
120ml whole milk 
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

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 a 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. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not over mix. 

Spoon the mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 18-25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. Use a mechanical ice cream scoop for identical even cupcakes. I bought a normal ice cream scoop before but you end up getting your finger or another spoon to get the mix out. 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 rack to cool completely. 

When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Vanilla Frosting on top and decorate. 


For the Vanilla Frosting

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

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 in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of spoonfuls 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. 


 
You can pick up bunnies and chickitas in the craft section of all the supermarkets at the moment if you fancy going over board with the decorations too. 
 
Happy Easter! 

 

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Harleigh Reid
Harleigh Reid

I write about food and eat a lot.

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