Vanilla Easter Cupcakes

For me, Easter Weekend means thinking about making cupcakes and letting the fun begin. They not only need to taste good, but I think it is so important to make them look good too. Here is a simple recipe for Chocolate Easter Cupcakes (makes 12)

Ingredients for sponge
175g butter or stork
175g caster sugar
165g self-raising flour
3 eggs (large)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1-2 teaspoons vanilla essence

For the icing
175g butter cut into small pieces
350g sifted icing sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
1-2 tsp vanilla essence
Green food colouring

For the decoration
Mini Eggs or any Easter decorations you may have.

Method

Turn on the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tray with muffin cases.
Put all sponge ingredients into a large bowl and mix with an electric whisk until smooth and evenly mixed.
Divide mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases.
Bake for 20-25 mins; the cakes should have risen well and are firm to touch.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely while you make icing.

Put butter, milk and vanilla into a bowl and add half the icing sugar. Beat until smooth, then add the remaining icing sugar. Beat until smooth again and add enough of the gree colouring until you have the desired shade of grass green. Add the icing to an icing bag preferably with a grass nozle at the bottom (or just a swirl). Pipe the icing on the top of the cakes, especially around the edge, then decorate with 3 mini egss in the middle.