Rosie's Easter Cupcakes

Easter is, of course, the moment in the calendar when lent is broken, and sweet treats can abound. This might be an Italian Colomba, copious amounts of chocolate, or simnel cake.

But… what with the timely obsession with cupcakes, I've been making a fair few (20 a day!) and have really perfected the recipe: the sponge is sweet, but really fine and light, and the top is made with a cream cheese frosting to offset the overwhelming sweetness.

In these hard times, I've been enjoying the delights of Brixton's pound shops (a great thing to come out the credit crunch. They are popping up everywhere) and have been buying bags of mini eggs and sweets which look wicked on cupcakes. Otherwise, I love www.jane-asher.co.uk for cases and sprinkles and also www.sugarshack.co.uk.

Serve this up on Easter Sunday and wave goodbye to abstinence.....

115g UNSALTED BUTTER
180g GOLDEN CASTER SUGAR
3 FREE RANGE EGGS
210g SELF RAISING FLOUR
½ TSP BAKING POWDER
30ml MILK

2 tbsp CREAM CHEESE
VANILLA ESSENCE
500g ICING SUGAR (sometimes more so be prepared)
MINI EGGS/GLACE CHERRIES/ SPRINKLES/ SWEETS

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a large cupcake(/muffin) tray with paper cases. Beat the butter, using one of those two whisk electric whizzers on a low speed, until it is soft. Measure in the sugar and beat until it forms a creamy paste. Now, one by one add the eggs, turning the power of the whizzer right up. This will ensure that the sponge is super fine and smooth. Now, return the whizzer to a low setting and gradually add the self-raising flour, baking powder and finally the milk. This will loosen the mix a little.

Decant the mix into the cases so that it comes 2/3rds of the way up, leaving room for rising (about 2 dessert spoons worth). Now place these in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean out of the cake. Remove them to a cooling rack for a few hours.

Meanwhile make the icing, again using the whizzer. Firstly soften the cream cheese and then add a few drops of vanilla essence. Gradually sift the icing sugar into this until it forms a stiff mix. When your cupcakes are ENTIRELY cool, apply using the back of a spoon, pushing the frosting right into the paper case. Decorate immediately which as much decoration as you can lay your hands on.

ABOUT ROSIE...

Rosie Lovell runs Rosie's Deli Café, 14e Market Row, Brixton Market, London, SW9. Her first book, Spooning with Rosie will be published by Fourth Estate in May 2009, £14.99, ISBN978-0-00-728517-4

To view more of Rosie's recipe's and read about Rosie's Deli Café, visit her website here. To read Rosie's blog, click here

Uploaded March 09