Easy Vanilla & Chocolate Easter Cupcakes

Simple and delicious Easter cupcakes - vanilla sponge cake with a tasty chocolatey frosting and mini eggs to decorate.

Perfect for kids and quick to make.

This is what you'll need:

• 125g/4.5oz white sugar
• Mini eggs
• 125g/4.5oz margarine (you can use it straight from the fridge)
• 125g/4.5oz self raising flour (or plain/all purpose plus 1tspn baking powder and bicarb)
• 30g quality cocoa powder
• 65ml/ 1/4cup milk
• 80g/2.8oz soft butter
• pinch salt
• 2 eggs at room temp
• 130g icing sugar (aka powdered or confectioners sugar)
• Around 30ml milk (you may not use all of this)

Method:

1. Mix marg and sugar until fluffy
2. Add eggs, flour, salt and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds (in a stand mixer, longer by hand)
3. Add 1/4cup milk and mix until soft - 1 minute (in a stand mixer, longer by hand)
4. Distribute into paper cases and bake at 160c (Gas mark3/325F) fan for 20-25 minutes.
5. Allow cakes to cool.
6. Mix icing sugar, cocoa and soft butter.
7. Add milk slowly until a just soft consistency is reached
8. Pipe onto cupcakes and add mini eggs.

TIPS:

• *You can use margarine to bake with straight from the fridge - use a nice tasting one though! (I used Flora Buttery)
• *White sugar tastes sweeter than brown so if you switch sugars, be aware that the cakes wont be as sweet.
• *Use room temp eggs.
• *Bake on a lower heat for smooth topped cupcakes - for domed cupcakes, bake at 180c but for around 16-20 mins.
• *Use SOFT butter for frosting - cold butter is really hard to mix.
• *Also, butter holds it's shape better once cooled than margarine so butter is the best choice for buttercream.