easter cupcakes

Easter is well and truly upon us, with Good Friday yesterday and Easter Sunday tomorrow, what did you get up to? Good Friday for me was spent at my church as we have a morning service at 10am and then children from the local area arrive to take part in crafts so I had my own little group to take around and they were all little darlings, thankfully! Tomorrow will be another service and then a BBQ with my Mum's side of the family, which is the whole reason I made these cakes - mum said we'd provide dessert so we have these plus other trifles and puds, yum! 

Although I sometimes think myself as Mary Berry reincarnated, the recipe is simple, a basic cupcake mix but this gives you the freedom to tailor the decorating to whatever occasion. I was going to do pink and yellow icing but the shop had run out of yellow so decided on pink and blue mixed into pastel shades to fit in with a spring theme. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, I don't bake as much as I used to because the oven at university it totally pants and I don't have time, but this afternoon I gave it a whirl and they were a success. 

The Recipe:- (Makes 12)

Ingredients: 

For the Cakes

• 150g softened unsalted butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self raising flour

For the Buttercream

• 175g softened unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 350g icing sugar
• Food colouring of your choice
• Sweets to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c/Gas Mark 4 and put 12 paper cases into a bun tray.
2. Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat (with an electric mixer if preferred) until soft and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs.
3. Sift in the flour and then using a metal spoon, fold in gently. 
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake in the pre-heated oven for 18-22 minutes. To check if they are done, poke in a skewer - if it comes out clean, then they are ready. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool.
5. To make the buttercream, put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for a few minutes, until pale and creamy. Add the milk and sift in the flour, then mix for a further 2-3 minutes. Divide into two bowls and beat in a little food colouring into each. 
6. Swirl the buttercream on top of the cooled caks and decorate with sweets.

It's as simple as that!