Baking with children

A nice cupcake recipe to make with kids this is a perfect Easter holiday activity. The only specialist equipment needed is a piping nozzle to give a grass effect – I use a Wilton 233 tip, and a piping bag.

This recipe is a favourite with my kids because they can do almost all of it themselves – yes the nests can look a little wonky but the pride that they have made something themselves makes it all worth while.

Easy Easter Nest Cupcakes

2015-03-25 15:18:12

Yields 12

Vanilla cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting and mini eggs.

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Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

17 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

17 min

Vanilla Cupcakes

1. 125g Unsalted butter (softened)
2. 125g Caster sugar
3. 2 Eggs (beaten)
4. 125g Self raising flour
5. 1 tsp Vanilla essence
6. Splash of whole milk

Chocolate frosting

1. 80g unsalted butter
2. 250g icing sugar
3. 25ml whole milk
4. 1 and a half tsp vanilla essence
5. 100g milk chocolate (I used Belgian cooking chocolate)

For the cakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. In a freestanding mixer cream the softened butter and sugar until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla essence to the beaten egg then slowly add the mixture to the mixer.
4. Gradually add the flour while mixing on a slow speed.
5. Add the whole milk slowly while mixing by hand until the mixture falls easily from a spoon or spatula.
6. Set out the paper cupcake cases in cupcake tins and add the mixture.
7. Bake for approx 17 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

For the Frosting

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar in a free-standing mixer on a low speed it will initally look powdery before becoming a smooth mixture.
2. Mix the vanilla essence with the milk in a separate glass or jug (I use a re-purposed Tommy Tippee cup as it has handy volumes on the side).
3. With the mixture on a low speed slowly add the vanilla milk.
4. Beat the mixture on a high speed for at least 5 minutes
5. Melt the chocolate in a microwavable bowl using 15 second bursts and stiring between each burst until the chocolate has melted.
6. Stir the chocolate into the frosting.
7. Smooth a thin layer of the chocolate frosting over each cake then use the grass effect nozzle to pipe circles around the edge of each cake.
8. Add mini eggs to the centre of each cake.

Tip

1. To soften the butter you could simply leave it on the side for an hour, but I always forget so I place it in a microwavable bowl and heat in 10 second bursts, removing and mixing each time. The aim is to soften the butter a little not to melt it. If the butter does melt a little, use a fork to mix it back together with the rest of the butter.

By Jenny Hampson

Modern Family Baking http://modernfamilybaking.com/