Whether you make these long weekend holiday activity with the kids. Need something sweet to accompany your seafood spread. Or, simply whip them up to use some of your leftover chocolate eggs come Monday, this recipe for Easter Cupcakes is the best of the festivties in a few fun-sized bites!
INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes
- 40g Dutch cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 100g plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 100g caster sugar
- 100g brown sugar
- 80ml vegetable oil
- 2tsp vanilla essence
- 120ml buttermilk
For frosting and decoration
- 345g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 650g icing sugar, sifted
- 70ml milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2-3 tbsp dark chocolate, shaved
- 125g pastel small dark chocolate eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 175C and place the cupcake patties into a large muffin tray. Set aside.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
- Attach the flat beater attachment to your KitchenAid mixer and add the eggs, both sugars, vegetable oil and vanilla essence. Mix on medium speed until your mixture is smooth and well-combined. Slowly add in the vegetable oil while the mixer is on medium speed.
- Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients by spooning the mixer in while the mixer is running. Once the mixer is combined turn it off.
- Spoon the batter into the paddies, filling only half full, and place in the oven to bake for 22-25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean when tested
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool down.
- To prepare the frosting, combine the butter and icing sugar into the bowl of a KitchenAid stand mixer with the flat beater attached. Mix on low speed to start then turn up to medium speed once the ingredients are combined.
- Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Slowly add in the milk, if the frosting is too runny add a little more icing sugar.
- Attach a large piping nozzle to a piping bag, fill with some frosting and pip the top of each Easter cupcake. Sprinkle over with shaved dark chocolate and a few speckled eggs.