Easter Cupcakes

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Well like many of you out there, I celebrate Easter with a big family lunch on Easter Sunday, hosted by my in-laws. My contribution this year was a platter of these delicious Easter Cupcakes! I modified a chocolate cake recipe that I saw on an episode of Barefoot Contessa, one of my favourite cooking shows, and baked some regular sized and mini sized cupcakes and decorated them with some dark chocolate and coconut ‘nests’ and sugared almond ‘eggs’. I have posted the recipe after the pics … Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• 2 cups raw caster sugar
• 3/4 cups Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line 3 cupcake tins with cupcake papers.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. 
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. 
6. Allow to cool completely before frosting with vanilla buttercream and decorating.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6 cups icing mixture
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Cream butter and icing mixture with an electric mixer on low speed. Once combined, increase speed and slowly add milk and vanilla extract.
2. If the consistency is too liquid, add more icing mixture. If it is too thick, add more milk.

Chocolate Coconut ‘Nests’

• 2 cups dark chocolate buttons
• 3 cups shredded coconut

1. Melt chocolate in microwave on medium heat for 45 seconds. Stir until completely melted.
2. Add coconut and mix well.
3. Drop large spoonfuls of the chocolate coconut mixture onto baking paper and make and indent into the top for the ‘eggs’ to sit on. Allow to set.