This is a fun easter recipe for children. Bake regular and mini cupcakes and decorate them to make little chicks and marshmallow sheep. If you can’t find vanilla frosting, you can make your own butercream by beating together 110g butter softenend, 225g icing sugar, sieved and 1 tbsp water.

Easter Recipe for Children Ingredients

55g/2oz plain chocolate
55g/2oz butter
65g/2 1/4oz dark brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tbs sour cream
55g/2oz plain flour
1 tbs cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F/ Gas 4  Line a bun tray with 6 paper cases and mini muffin tray with 6 small paper cases.

Melt the dark chocolate over a pan of hot water and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a bowl  until fluffy then beat in the cooled chocolate, followed by the egg, vanilla and sour cream. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder, plus a large pinch of salt, into the bowl and fold in. Spoon into the cake cases (around 2/3rds full). Bake the mini muffins for about 12 minutes and the larger cupcakes for about 20 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch (they will sink down a little on cooling because of the chocolate and sour cream but they will taste yummy). Cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

Yellow Chicks
1x 16  oz  tub vanilla frosting (available in most supermarkets)
Edible yellow colour
dessicated coconut
strips of red sugar tape
1 tube black decorating icing

To decorate the chicks, tint the frosting yellow with a few drops of yellow icing and ice the tops of  3 cupcake. Remove the liners from 3 mini cupcakes and ice the tops and sides..  Tint the coconut yellow using the yellow food colouring.  Roll the sides of the mini muffins in the coconut and place on their sides on top of the larger cupcakes for the chicks faces. Cut crowns and beaks and tails from the red tape and add to the cupcakes. Draw on eyes using the black writing icing.

Marshmallow Sheep
1x 16 oz  tub vanilla frosting
mini marshmallows
pink sanding/ crystal sugar
mini brown M&Ms or other mini candies for eyes
malted milk balls for the nose
bendy toffee for the legs

To decorate Sheep
Ice the tops of 3 large cupcakes..  Cut the  marshamallows in half using clean scissors. For ears dip 12 halved marshmallows into pink sugar crystals and set aside. Arrange halved marshmallows on top of the muffins leaving enough space in the centre for a mini cupcake..  Remove the liners from 3 mini cupcakes and ice the tops and sides. Use a malted milk ball for the nose of the sheep and attach the ears to either side.  Cover the remainder with halved mini marshmallows Place the mini cupcakes on their sides on top of the muffins. Ice the back and cover with marshmallows. Use mini M&Ms or small coloured candy for the eyes.    For the legs mould the toffee into the right elongated shape and place either side of the cupcakes.

Information:
Makes 6 animal cupcakes