Mini Egg Nest Cakes.

As you have probably guessed by now, I'm obsessed with making cakes that are themed. Birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day and currently Easter! After receiving a packet of mini eggs in an Easter egg and decided to make some nest cakes. Usually, you'd use cornflakes or rice krispies to make nest cakes but we don't eat cereals (only porridge and wheetabix) so I decided to do something slightly different.

Method:

1. Make chocolate cupcakes.

2. Allow to cool and then smother in chocolate butter cream, leaving a little to stick the eggs on at the end.

3. Melt 200g of chocolate (that makes 10 nests).

4. As shown in the picture, draw circles around a mug onto a piece of paper (this is a guide to make sure your chocolate nests are about the right size). Put that onto a baking sheet or board and then sellotape a piece of greaseproof paper on top. 

5. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the melted chocolate on where the circles are drawn.

6. Refrigerate for around an hour.

7. When set, carefully remove the chocolate from the tray and place on top of the cupcakes. 

8. I cut the mini eggs in half because I knew I wouldn't have enough to put on top of all the cakes but if you have enough then leave them whole. Dip one side of the mini egg in leftover butter cream and stick onto the nests.

I found this video quite useful. However, she uses a piping bag to make her nests. I tried this and I found it to be really difficult, messy and it wasted a lot of the chocolate. You have much more control over them if you use a teaspoon! 

Enjoy!

Cakesfordorothy xoxo

Creme Egg Muffins.

I can't believe how easy these were to make in comparison to how effective they look! After eating a mini creme egg, I suddenly had a brainwave that I could make it in cake form...

Method:

1. Bake your bog-standard chocolate muffin.

2. When completely cool, slice a thin layer off the top and scoop some muffin out of the middle. The amount you scoop out depends on how much filling you want.

3. Make a very thick icing (using icing sugar, water and a little vanilla essence) and refrigerate for an hour.

4. Remove icing from the fridge and transfer a small amount to fill half an egg cup (this was the right amount to do 14 cakes) and stir in some yellow or orange food colouring.

5. Take your muffins and fill the hole with the white icing only. If you put the yellow icing on top at this stage, it will merge into the white and be less effective.

6. Refrigerate for a further hour.

7. Take them out of the fridge and then put a blob of the yellow icing on top of the white icing.

8. This is optional but I was planning on putting the tops back on them and coating them with melted chocolate to make them even more like a creme egg. However, I was so pleased with how they turned out I decided not to hide the inside. For serving I simply placed the tops back on and told my 'taste-testers' to take them off before eating.

Enjoy and have a very Happy Easter!
Cakesfordorothy xoxo

Hummingbird Lemon Cupcakes.

I recently made these super delicious lemon cupcakes for a friend's birthday. The recipe makes 12 but I needed more than that so I simply made them a little thinner (a little too thin in some cases so I doubled them up). Of course, the writing icing is totally optional. 

Ingredients:

120g plain flour

150g caster sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons lemon juice

40g butter

120ml milk

1 egg

For the frosting: 250g icing sugar

80g butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

A few drops of yellow food colouring (optional)

2 tablespoons milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2. Mix flour, sugar, lemon juice and butter in a bowl until it is all combined.

3. Gradually pour in the milk and beat until it is just mixed in.

4. Add the egg and mix in.

5. Spoon mixture into cupcake cases and bake for 25 minutes.

6. Leave the cakes to cool in the pan before removing.

7. To make the frosting, beat together the icing sugar, butter, lemon juice and food colouring until well mixed.

8. Slowly pour in the milk and beat until light and fluffy.

9. Spread across the cold cupcakes with a knife. You may also wish to add some lemon zest on top for decoration.

Enjoy! 
Cakesfordorothy xoxo


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