Chocolate cupcakes for Easter - four ways

I wanted to make cupcakes to take when we went to our friends place for dinner. Being Easter, we have A LOT of Easter eggs at home at the moment, so I thought I would incorporate some of them to use them up. I love chocolate, so the less temptation around me, the better!


Makes 24
Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup rice bran oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Method:

Preheat oven to 176 degrees C. Spray and line pans with 24 cupcake liners.

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil.  Beat ingredients with a mixer for approx two minutes. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.  Add the boiling water, and beat until just blended. Don't over-mix.  

I must admit I was really worried after adding the boiling water - the batter looked more like watery hot chocolate than anything else. 

If you are using silicon cupcake pans like me, make sure you put them on oven trays that they are going to sit on when you put them in the oven to bake. This is important because the pans are very flexible and the batter is so liquidy - if you filled the pans and then tried to move them without being on a stable surface, the pans won't be able to support the contents and the batter will just spill everywhere.

Because the batter is so thin, the easiest way to fill the cupcake pans is by pouring the batter in (e.g using a jug).

Easter cupcake filling - four ways

1. "Top deck" chocolate cupcakes
Crush up Cadbury top deck mini easter eggs and sprinkle 1/2 an egg to each cupcake batter


2. "Crunchy" chocolate cupcakes
Crush up Cadbury crunchy hollow "hunting eggs" and sprinkle 1/4 to 1/3 of an egg to each cupcake batter


3. "Caramello" chocolate cupcakes
Add one Cadbury caramello mini easter egg to each cupcake batter 


4. Chocolate cupcakes
Just add batter to pan

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the center of the cupcakes springs back when lightly touched.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack.

Icing
Nutella icing (for the "top deck" cupcakes)
Click here for the recipe


Chocolate buttercream icing
I used buttercream icing for the other cupcake types.



125g butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbs milk

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to beat for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the icing sugar and cocoa gradually, and beat until the mixture is fluffy.  Add the milk one tablespoon at a time and beat until you are happy with the consistency.

To decorate
1. "Top deck" chocolate cupcakes
Pipe nutella icing onto them, starting at the edge and ending up in the centre in a continuous motion.

2. "Crunchy" chocolate cupcakes

Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.

Using a small tip, pipe buttercream icing around the edge of the cupcake so it resembles a birds nest. Place crushed up crunchy egg pieces in the centre.

3. "Caramello" chocolate cupcakes

Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.
Using a small tip, pipe buttercream icing around the edge of the cupcake so it resembles a birds nest.
Cut a caremello mini egg in half and place in the centre of the nest.

4. Chocolate cupcakes
Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.
Add part of a crushed up hollow easter add on top, using the icing to help stick it down. Add a little icing to the centre of the broken egg and add a mini easter egg to the centre.

By the way, we had a great pumpkin risotto for dinner (and too much to drink!) - thanks Katie and Colin for a great night!