Easter Cupcakes

• soft light brown sugar↗140g g
• self‑raising flour↗100g g
• cocoa powder↗50g g
• baking powder↗1 tsp tsp
• large eggs↗2
• vegetable oil↗135ml ml
• milk↗4 tbsp tbsp
• powdered sugar↗300g g
• unsalted butter↗150g g

  softened

• milk↗2 tbsp tbsp
• fondant↗250g ready-rolled white g

  ready‑rolled white

• food colouring gelsorange, yellow, pink and black

  orange, yellow, pink and black

• cocoa powder↗2 tbsp tbsp
• marshmallowswhite mini

  (check the label to ensure they are suitable for vegetarians)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C with convection/gas 4. Add brown sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Beat the eggs, oil and milk in a jug. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until smooth. Line a 12‑cup muffin tin with paper liners. Divide the batter among them, then bake for 20 minutes until risen. Let cool in the tin.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, prepare the icing. Beat the powdered sugar and butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. If needed, add a little milk while beating to achieve a consistency suitable for piping.

3. 3

   To decorate a puppy, dye a small piece of fondant orange using a drop of gel colour, and another small piece black. Dye several tablespoons of icing yellow and pipe it into a large round‑tip pastry bag. Pipe a yellow dot in the centre of the cupcake and a smaller one on top. Form two small black fondant balls for the eyes and place them. From the orange fondant shape a small cone for the beak. For each paw, shape three small long strips and join them at one end. Insert the paws under the body, hiding the joints.

4. 4

   For a bunny, whisk cocoa with 1 tbsp milk into several tablespoons of icing. Spread it on the cupcake. Pipe a few tablespoons of plain icing into a large round‑tip pastry bag and pipe a small dot on top. Attach a mini‑marshmallow as a tail. For the paws, shape two small white fondant pieces into ovals and press them flat. Dye a small piece of fondant pink and shape two large and six smaller balls. Insert the balls into the flattened ovals to form paws. Place the paws on both sides of the bunny’s lower body.

5. 5

   For a lamb, dye a piece of fondant black and shape a small oval. Use a toothpick to poke nostrils at the lower end. Join two smaller pieces to form ears and attach them, slightly moistening with water. Shape two small white fondant balls and two smaller black ones for the eyes. Cover the cupcake with a layer of plain icing and place the face in the centre. Surround it with mini‑marshmallows to mimic a woolly coat.