Chocolate Easter Nest Cupcakes

Keep boredom at bay during the Easter holiday with these sweet chocolate cupcakes. They’re great for a delicious treat, and the kids can get involved with decorating the nests with mini eggs. 

Juliet Sear Easter cupcakes

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

 

EQUIPMENT

  • Cupcake tin/s
  • Cupcake cases
  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or bowls and wooden spoons)
  • Microwave-safe bowls (or bain marie)
  • Piping bag with a large open star nozzle

 

INGREDIENTS

For the sponge:

  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 200g margarine or spreadable butter, plus extra for the tins
  • 4 medium free range eggs
  • 175g self-raising flour
  • 75g buttermilk or full fat yoghurt
  • 30g cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the buttercream:

  • 300g very soft unsalted butter
  • 650g sifted icing sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
  • 60g cocoa powder
  • 2-3 tbsp recently boiled water
  • Mini eggs of your choice

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan. Beat the margarine/spread and sugar until really pale, fluffy and creamy.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
  3. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt, then add this to the wet mix. Add the buttermilk and beat on slow until the batter is smooth.
  4. Spoon into the cake cases and bake for about 10-15 mins and cooked through. Leave in the tins for 5 mins then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
  5. For the buttercream, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix the cocoa powder with the hot water until it makes a thick paste, then add this to the buttercream. Add extra water if you need to make it a little looser. It should be soft and pipeable so it’s not too stiff, but not runny.
  6. Load into the piping bag and hold the bag vertically, begin piping in the centre and wind outwards towards the edge of the cake, and build up around the edge with another circle of buttercream to create a chocolatey nest.
  7. Fill with mini eggs and serve. These will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Professional baker and author, Juliet Sear has created this delicious recipe exclusively for Rangemaster using her Elise 110cm Dual Fuel range cooker.