Baking Heaven April 2020

28 baking heaven APRIL WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM

Creme Egg

cupcakes

MAKES 12

For the cupcakes

150g (5½oz) unsalted butter,

softened

125g (4½oz) self-raising flour

25g (1oz) cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

150g (5½oz) golden caster sugar

3 medium free-range eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

12 mini Creme Eggs (freeze them

before adding to the batter)

For the topping

200g (7oz) unsalted butter,

softened

400g (14oz) icing sugar

yellow food colouring (I used

Sugarflair Egg Yellow)

1 tsp of vanilla extract or paste

6 Creme Eggs, halved

Equipment

12-hole cupcake tray with cases

3 x large piping bags and large

open star nozzle for creating the

two-tone topping

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas

Mark 5.

2 To make the sponge batter, cream the

butter and sugar together in a stand

mixer (or use a bowl and wooden

spoon) until light and fluffy.

3 Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on

slow until incorporated into the butter

and sugar.

4 In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with

the cocoa and baking powder to evenly

distribute the powders into the flour.

5 Add half of the flour, then mix on a low

speed until just combined. Add the rest

of the flour and give a final mix until all

the flour is combined. It is very

important not to overmix, or your

sponges may be tough and chewy!

6 Spoon the mixture into the individual

cupcake cases and pop a frozen mini

Crème Egg into each case, pressing

gently to nestle into the batter.

7 Bake for 12-15 minutes until cooked

through. To check they are cooked,

press gently with your finger and they

should spring back. Leave the cakes in

the tin to cool.

8 For the frosting, place the icing sugar

and butter in a stand mixer bowl or bowl

and beat together with an electric whisk

or wooden spoon, until well mixed on

slow. Once the icing sugar has

incorporated, whip on high until pale,

light and fluffy.

TOP

TIP

I like to add a tablespoon or

so of recently boiled water

on slow, then whack up to

high to make it softer and loosen the

buttercream mix to aid easier piping.

9 To get the two-tone effect for the

Creme Egg whipped frosting, divide the

icing between two bowls and, in one

bowl, add a tiny drop of yellow food

colouring. Mix well and keep adding

more until you have the desired colour.

10 Now fill two piping bags with each

colour, the yellow and the cream. Snip

about 1cm (½in) off the end of each,

then place both of these piping bags

into the third piping bag that is fitted

with a large open star nozzle.

11 Pipe in one motion, with the bag

held upright and nozzle against the

cake, around the outer edge of the

cupcake and winding inwards and

upwards to create a whippy topping.

12 Once finished, top each cupcake

with half a Creme Egg, and serve.

These are a fun play on

the classic Easter treat

with a Creme Egg

inspired two-tone

frosting. There’s

an egg baked inside

the sponge too!

Juliet says ★★★