Food / 22 March, 2022 / My Baba

Delicious Chocolate Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Prep 1hr 30 mins

Cook time 35 mins

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 125g (4 ½ oz) baking margarine, softened
• 125g (4 ½ oz) caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150g (5oz) plain flour
• 1 sachet/ 25g (1oz) Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
• 2 sachets/ 10g (2 tsp) Baking Powder (gluten free)
• 30ml (2 tbsp) whole milk

To decorate:

• 200g (7oz) Milk Chocolate
• 50g (2oz) White Chocolate
• 125g (4 ½ oz)  Liquid Glucose
• Extra Strong Pink Food Colour Gel
• 200g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 sachets/50g (2oz) Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
• 350g (12oz) icing sugar
• 30ml (2 tbsp) whole milk
• Dark Chocolate Chips
• Fairy Mix

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180?C (160?C fan assisted oven, 350?F, gas mark 4). Put the Cupcake Cases in 12 muffin tins. Put the margarine in a mixing bowl, add the caster sugar and eggs. Sift the flour, Cocoa and Baking Powder on top, add the milk, and, using an electric whisk on a low speed, mix the ingredients together. Increase the speed and whisk for a few more seconds until smooth and well blended.
2. Divide the mixture equally between the cases and smooth over the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes until risen and just firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To decorate, first make the moulding paste for the ears. Break up the Milk Chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, and leave to melt. Remove from the water, mix well and stir in 100g (3 ½oz) Liquid Glucose to form a thick paste. Scrape on to a piece of clear plastic and press gently to a thickness of about 1/2cm (1/4 inch) and leave to cool – the mixture will become firm and pliable when cold. Avoid prolonged chilling as the paste will become very hard.
4. Repeat the melting process with the White Chocolate and mix in 25g (1oz) Liquid Glucose and 1 small drop Pink Food Colour Gel. Transfer to clear plastic, press out as above and leave to cool.
5. Once the chocolate pastes are firm, cover each with another sheet of clear plastic and roll gently until smooth and the thickness of a £1 coin. Using either 8cm and 6cm (3 x 2 ¼ inch) tall leaf cutters or cardboard templates and a knife, cut out 24 bunny ears from the Milk Chocolate paste, and 24 inner ears from the Pink paste – you may need to soften and re-roll the trimmings (see Tip).
6. Mould each ear piece gently to soften the paste a little and then bend into different shapes. The pink coloured White Chocolate inner ears should stick on to the Milk Chocolate pieces once the paste has warmed a little by manipulating it. Pinch the ears at the base and leave in a cool place to firm up while preparing the icing. If the room temperature is very warm, put the ears in the fridge.
7. For the icing, put the butter in a bowl and beat until smooth and glossy. Gradually sift and beat in the Cocoa Powder and icing sugar, then stir in the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and soft enough to pipe. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star nozzle and pipe a generous swirl on top of each cupcake.
8. To serve, push a pair of ears into the top of each cupcake. Decorate with Chocolate Chips and Pink Pearls from the Fairy Princess sprinkles to make the faces. Your Easter bunny cupcakes are now ready to serve and enjoy!

TIP

If the moulding paste becomes too hard to work with or you need to gather up and re-roll the trimmings, you can pop the paste in the microwave for 5-10 second bursts to soften it up again and re-roll on the plastic as above.

Recipe from Dr. Oetker

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