Easter Cupcakes

It's Good Friday today and I'm (hopefully) sunning myself in Jordan when you read this. I've scheduled a few posts including AlphaBakes on 1st April so do come back and see what letter we are baking with in April. I promise it's not an April's fool joke :)

Back to these cakes. I wanted to use my easter cupcake kit that I bought from America last year. I've always wanted to make an easter nest cupcake so thought this was a good time. I couldn't decide if I should make a chocolate cupcake or a lemon cupcake so in the end I made a lemon cupcake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. The combination was divine! The lemon cupcakes were moist and zesty and paired well with the chocolate cream cheese. The decorations on top were the icing on the cake, pun intended :)

I'm entering this to Calendar Cakes hosted by Laura from Laura Loves Cakes and co-hosted by Rachel from Dolly Bakes. The theme this month is Easter Extravaganza.

Happy Easter!

 Easter cupcake kit, mini eggs, lemon, philly choc cream cheese, twirl bars

 adding lemon zest

 fill cupcake cases about 2/3 full

 place a mini egg in the centre

 you can add more batter if you like but it will sink on baking

 fresh from the oven - can't see the hidden egg

 spread a thin layer of choccy philly on top of each cupcake. decorate with twirl bars and mini eggs as shown. 

 my easter cupcake decoration kit

 cross section - the baked mini egg held its shape really well!

Makes 12 cupcakes

110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g caster sugar, preferably golden
2 large eggs, free-range or organic
150g self-raising flour
125g plain flour
90ml semi-skimmed milk
30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons greek yoghurt
1 tub chocolate cream cheese
twirl bars
mini eggs

• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Place cupcake cases into a muffin tray. 
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. 
• Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.
• In a jug, combine the milk, lemon juice and yoghurt. 
• Add one-third of the flour to the butter mixture and mix well. 
• Add half the milk mixture and mix well. 
• Add another third of flour and mix well. 
• Add the remainder of the milk and mix well. 
• Finish by adding the last third of flour and the lemon zest and beat well.
• If the mixture looks like it is curdling slightly, don’t panic – simply add another spoonful of plain flour and beat well.
• Spoon out the mixture evenly between the cases and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. 
• Leave in the tin for 10 minutes and then allow to cool completely on a wire rack. 
• Once cooled, spread a thin layer of chocolate cream cheese frosting on each cupcake.
• Roughly chop some twirl bars and arrange place on top of the cupcakes in a rough triangular or circular pattern to resemble a nest.
• Add 3 mini eggs in the centre.
• Finish with the cupcake toppers.