Homemade great bakes to treat your family at Easter
Easter conjures up images of eating lots of treats, from hot cross buns to chocolate eggs, simnel cake to a tasty roast leg of lamb. We may not be able to mark the holiday with a large gathering of relatives but that shouldn’t stop us spoiling our immediate family a little. Here are a couple of seasonal recipes that will go down a bomb with every member of your household.
Easter Nest Cupcakes
(Serves ten)
Ingredients
125g self-raising flour 2 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt
115g caster sugar
75g Trex, at room temperature
2 large eggs
3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract To decorate:
100g butter, at room temperature
225g icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder 2 chocolate flake bars, crumbled
30 mini chocolate Easter eggs
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Place ten large paper cup cake cases into a bun tin.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the sugar, Trex, unbeaten eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon to beat the mixture until smooth and creamy.
Spoon the mixture into paper cases. Transfer to the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, until risen and firm. Cool in tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, beat the butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder together for three to four minutes until light and fluffy.
Pipe or spread the topping onto the cakes, leaving a slight depression in the middle. Sprinkle chocolate flake around the edges, then place three chocolate eggs in the middle of each cake.
Happy Easter Cake
(Serves six)
Ingredients
For the cake:
A little Trex, for greasing 125g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
115g caster sugar
75g Trex, at room temperature
2 large eggs
3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
For filling and decoration: 100g butter, at room temperature
Method
½ tsp vanilla extract
2-3 drops pink or yellow food colouring
3-4 tbsp small Easter eggs and tiny icing flowers
Method
Position the oven shelves towards the centre of the oven. Preheat oven to 180°C/ fan oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease two 18cm (7in) sandwich tins with a little Trex, then line the bases with greaseproof paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, Trex, unbeaten eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon to beat the mixture together for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and level the tops. Bake for 18-20 minutes. To test that the cakes are cooked, they should be golden brown, and when touched lightly the tops should spring back.
Put the tins on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes. Remove the cakes from the tins and cool completely, then remove the lining paper.
Beat together the butter and icing sugar until light and creamy. Stir in the vanilla and food colouring.
Spread half the buttercream over one cake. Spread the underside of the second cake with the raspberry jam. Sandwich the cakes together and spread the remaining buttercream on top. Decorate with small Easter eggs and tiny icing flowers.