Easter Bakes

Bunny Tail Cupcakes

These adorable Easter Bunny Cupcakes are perfect for adding a little pop of colour to your Easter spread. They’re simple to make, fun to decorate and taste great too plus we’re sure lots of giggles to come out of it by any little ones tasked with making the bunnies bottoms!

Serves: 12       Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 185g self-raising flour
• 120g golden caster sugar
• 120g butter
• 100g pot of natural yoghurt
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 eggs

For the Icing:

• 250g pack of fondant icing
• 85g unsalted butter, softened
• A few drops of vanilla extract
• 200g icing sugar
• Food colouring, preferably green

Method:

1. Heat oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5 and line a 12-hole bun tin with paper cases.
2. Put the flour, sugar, butter, yogurt, lemon zest and eggs in a bowl and mix with electric beaters until smooth.
3. Spoon a large tablespoon of the mixture into each of the cases, making them as even as possible.
4. Bake for 20-25 mins until the cakes are risen and golden, and a skewer poked into the centre of one comes out clean.
5. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.
6. For the frosting, beat the butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy, and completely combined. Add a few drops of green colouring and beat it in.
7. If piping, scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, then pipe stars of green icing all over the tops of the cakes like tufts of grass. If not piping, spread the icing over the cakes and run a fork across to make it resemble grass.
8. Roll the fondant icing into small balls no bigger than a walnut (these are the bunnies’ bottoms). Roll smaller balls to make tails and stick them on top of the bigger balls. Put one rabbit on each cake.
9. Now make the feet by rolling two more small balls for each bunny and shape them into ovals. Rest these at one end of the ball so they look like feet.

Mini Egg Cheesecake

Perfect for those with a sweet tooth, pur Mini Egg (no bake) cheesecake is a delicious and simple dessert to make this Spring. With a dash of lemon juice this cheesecake avoids becoming overwhelmingly sweet, and with its simple recipe that’s easy to follow!

Serves: 12    Time: 5 hours

Ingredients:

• 230g of digestive biscuits (crushed)
• 150g of melted butter
• 565ml double cream
• 140g og icing sugar
• 320g cream cheese
• ½ lemon (juice)
• 560g mini eggs

Method:

1. Add the crushed biscuits and melted butter to a large mixing bowl and mix well until softened.
2. Add the mixture to an 8" springform tin, flatten and compress with the back of a spoon and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Whip the cream in a large mixing bowl before adding the icing sugar, cream cheese and lemon juice and mix well.
4. Crush 400g of Mini Eggs and stir through the mixture.
5. Spoon on top of your set biscuit base using a spatula to smooth the top. Refrigerate for a minimum of four hours, or overnight if possible.
6. Crush the remaining Mini Eggs and scatter on the top of your cheesecake before just serving.

Chocolate Nest Cakes

This seasonal favourite has lasted for so many years, and we’re yet to meet a child, big or small, who doesn’t love making and eating Easter egg nest cakes. Once you’re done keep your eyes peeled for any leftover Mini Eggs as they have a sneaky habit of disappearing…

Serves: 12       Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 225g of plain chocolate
• 2 tbsp of golden syrup
• 50g of butter
• 75g cornflakes
• 36 mini eggs

Method:

1. Lay out 12 silicone cupcake cases on a baking sheet, or line a 12 cupcake tray with paper cupcake cases.
2. Fill a saucepan with a few centimetres of water and heat until simmering.
3. Using a bowl that sits comfortably over the pan without touching the water, melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter until smooth, stirring as you go.
4. Turn off the heat and set the bowl on a stable surface (use a damp dishcloth to steady it if young children are helping).
5. Gently stir in the cornflakes until they are all coated in the chocolate mixture.
6. Fill each cupcake case with the chocolate cornflake mixture, ensuring the mixture is divided equally.
7. Top each nest with 3 mini eggs.
8. Eat your cakes warm for gooey yum-factor, or chill in the fridge for 1 hour to serve fully set.

Easter Egg Biscuits

Its not all about cakes this Easter, cookies and biscuits are also winners for filling any empty stomachs or for those in search of a sweet treat. These simple Easter egg biscuits are so easy to make yet so effective when you're finished, we have no doubt they'll be an amazing addition to your Easter spread!

Serves: 18       Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 150g white caster sugar
• 150g slightly salted butter, chopped
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

For the icing:

• 500g royal icing sugar
• your favourite food colouring gels

Method:

1. Weigh the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles wet sand, with no buttery lumps. Beat the egg with the vanilla, then add to the bowl. Mix briefly with a cutlery knife to combine, then use your hands to knead the dough together – try not to overwork the dough, or the biscuits will be tough. Shape into a disc, then wrap in cling film and chill for at least 15 mins.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
3. Dust a work surface with flour. Halve the dough, then roll one half out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use an egg-shaped cookie cutter to stamp out as many cookies as you can, then transfer them to one of the baking sheets, leaving a little space between the biscuits. Repeat with the other half of the dough. 
4. Bake for 12-15 mins, until the biscuits are pale gold. Cool on the sheets for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
5. Once cool, decorate to your liking To decorate the biscuits with icing, add enough water to the icing sugar to make a thick icing – it should hold its shape without spreading when piped. Transfer about a third of the icing to a piping bag fitted with a very small round nozzle (or just snip a tiny opening at the tip). Pipe an outline around the biscuits, then draw patterns in the middle – lines, spots and zigzags work well. Leave to dry for 10 mins. Divide the remaining icing between as many colours as you’d like to use, then use the gels to dye them. Loosen each icing with a few drops of water, then transfer them to piping bags. Use the coloured icing to fill the empty spaces on the biscuits. You may need to use a cocktail stick to tease it into the corners. Once covered, leave to dry for a few hours.

Malteser Bunny Mini Cheesecakes

A delicious twist on the usual cheesecake! Malteser bunnies are a huge part of Easter and make an appearance on the shelve of our supermarkets every Easter. Adding these little delights to your usual cheesecake bakes will give them a chocolatey twist, really enhancing the Easter spirit.

Serves: 12      Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 80g plain digestive biscuits
• 30g melted butter
• 180g light soft cheese
• 180g quark
• 30g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 medium eggs
• 12 Maltesers, bashed with a rolling pin until finely crushed (about 30g)
• 6 solid Maltesers Mini Bunnies, halved to decorate

Method: 

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 12-holes of a cupcake tin with paper cases (double up if your cases are quite thin).
2. Crush the biscuits in a sandwich bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor, and mix with the melted butter until it looks like damp sand.
3. Put a tbsp of the mix into the cases, and use the back of a spoon to pack the mixture in to make a solid base. Bake for 5 mins.
4. For the filling, beat the soft cheese and quark with a whisk until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, then the cornflour, until everything is mixed in thoroughly. Slowly whisk in the vanilla and the eggs, and finally fold in the Maltesers. Divide the mixture between the cases.
5. Put in the oven and lower the temperature to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼. Bake for 20-25 mins until the tops are set. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 mins in the tins. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely.
6. Push the Maltesers mini bunny ears and bottoms gently into the top of the cooled cheesecakes, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr before serving.

Hot Cross Buns

The tradtional hot cross bun is the symbol bake for Easter! These are found around every shop and supermarket as soon as it hits the weeks before Easter. Try your own baking skills, and test yourself with a scrumptious hot cross bun treat!

Serves: 15        Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 300ml full-fat milk, plus 2 tbsp more
• 50g butter
• 500g strong bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 75g sultanas
• 50g mixed peel
• zest 1 orange
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the cross:

• 75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

For the glaze:

• 3 tbsp apricot jam

Method:

1. Bring 300ml full-fat milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add 50g butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature.
2. Put 500g strong bread flour, 1 tsp salt, 75g caster sugar and 7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add 1 beaten egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.
3. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself. Repeat for 5 mins until smooth and elastic.
4. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.
5. With the dough still in the bowl, tip in 75g sultanas, 50g mixed peel, zest of 1 orange, 1 finely chopped apple and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.
6. Divide the dough into 15 even pieces (about 75g per piece). Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don’t wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.
7. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix 75g plain flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross – add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
8. Gently heat 3 tbsp apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.

Carrot Patch Cake

The classic carrot cake for Easter is another iconic bake for this season! Baking a simple, yet stunning carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for an afternoon tea or mid-morning treat for your Easter Sundays is the perfect treat after your roast dinners. And... it tastes even better a day or two later!

Serves: 10/12       Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 175ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the tin
• 75g natural yogurt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self-raising flour
• 250g light muscovado sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ fresh nutmeg, finely grated
• 200g carrots (about three), grated
• 100g sultanas or raisins
• 100g pistachios, finely chopped (or slivered if you can get them)

For the icing:

• 100g slightly salted butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar
• 100g full-fat cream cheese
• 100g fondant icing or marzipan
• orange food colouring

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla in a jug. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the pistachios. Mix well to combine, then scrape into the tin.
3. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tin.
4. To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the cream cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cake from the tin and spread the icing thickly on top. Scatter with some of the remaining pistachios.
5. Dye the fondant or marzipan orange by kneading in a drop of food colouring. Roll into little carrot shapes, then use a skewer to make indentations and poke a few pistachios in to look like fronds. Top the cake with the carrots, then serve. 

Easter Brownie Bites

Tucked inside these scrumptious brownie bites are mini eggs - they're a perfectly sized sweet treat that's fun to make with the kids in the Easter holidays!

Serves: 24        Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 175g butter, chopped
• 150g dark chocolate
• 250g light brown soft sugar
• 85g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 100g milk chocolate chips
• 24 mini chocolate eggs, plus extra to decorate

Method: 

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 24 holes of a mini muffin tray with paper cases. Put the butter, dark chocolate and sugar in a pan and heat it very gently, stirring all the time until the butter and chocolate have melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few mins.
2. Meanwhile, sift the flour, cocoa and a good pinch of salt into a large bowl. Stir in the warm, melted chocolate mixture and the beaten eggs, then add half the chocolate chips and mix until just combined. 
3. Divide the mixture between the cases and place a mini egg into the middle of each muffin, pushing down gently. Bake for 12-15 mins until cooked but still gooey in the centre – they will continue cooking a little as they cool down. Leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Melt the rest of the chocolate chips in short bursts in the microwave, or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring frequently. Leave to cool until it is quite thick, then dot a small amount on each cake and stick on some more mini eggs.