Easter. baking – Feasting Is Fun

Mini Egg Bundt Cake

Easter is almost here and with it comes Spring here in the U.K. Finally, longer days, more sunshine, bright yellow daffodil blooms in the hedgerows and, an abundance of Easter eggs in the shops. Whether large or small, eggs remind us of new life at this time of year. So, this Mini Egg Bundt Cake is the perfect bake to eat and celebrate, with friends and family this Easter.

Chocolate mini eggs are an extra special treat at Easter. Cadbury’s chocolate is encased in pastel coloured, crisp, vanilla shells, resulting is the most delicious flavour! And so the flavour of the cake sponge takes it’s vanilla notes directly from the shell of the mini eggs, as does the vanilla chocolate drizzle. Resulting in a light, vanilla cake that compliments the mini chocolate eggs that adorn it.

Beautiful Bundt Cakes

I adore baking with Bundt cake tins. Their beautiful detailing means that, once baked, the cake has a distinct hole in the centre, alongside elegant detailing on the outside of the cake. Here, in the U.K. Nordicware.com who make Bundt pans as well as a whole range of kitchen bakeware, own the trademark “Bundt”. Therefore, for a cake to legally be called a Bundt cake, it must be baked in Nordic Ware Bundt Pan.

And, in my baking, I wouldn’t consider using copies of true Bundt pans, nor would I recommend it. Since Nordic Ware Bundt pans come with a lifetime guarantee. So, I recommend looking after your Bundt pans, as they will give you years of beautiful, baked Bundt cakes. And, should any issues arise, simply contact Nordic Ware. Recently, I had a pan replaced by them, due to an issue that had been present since it’s first use. Finally, I should say that this post is not sponsored by Nordic Ware, I just love their Bundt pans and highly recommend them!

EASTER MINI EGG BUNDT CAKE – serves 8 – 10

For The Bundt cake:

225g/8oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

225g/8oz Caster Sugar

4 Large Free Range Eggs

1tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste – I use Vanilla Mart

alternatively substitute vanilla extract (1tbsp)

225g Plain White Flour

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon

2tsp Baking Powder

For The Chocolate Drizzle:

100g/4oz White Chocolate

50mls/2tbsp + 1tsp Double Cream (heavy cream)

1tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

For Cake Decoration:

1 large packet of Cadbury’s Mini Eggs (296g)

Gel food colouring – I use Wilton

To Make This Cake – you will need a 6 cup Bundt pan (the size is embossed on the outside of the pan). Alternatively, for a 10 cup pan increase the ingredients by half again. Also, you will need either cake release spray or, my preferred method brush melted butter liberally on every part of the inside of the pan and then dust with plain flour, tapping any excess flour out over the sink.

2 images of the Anniversary Bundt pan, one of the outside, the second shows the inside prepared with butter and flour so the cake batter does not stick during baking. — The Anniversary Bundt pan, prepared for use.

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan, gas mark 3, 325F.

Making And Baking The Vanilla Bundt Cake Sponge:

First of all place the sugar, butter and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract into a large bowl.
Whisk together the ingredients until they pale and creamy.
Next, crack all 4 eggs into the same bowl. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt on top of the eggs.
Whisk all of the wet and dry ingredients together until you have a smooth batter. Take cake not to over whisk as this can result in a heavy cake.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan, ensuring the batter fills the pan by no more than three quarters full.

Place the Bundt pan into the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 55minutes – 1hour. The cake is baked when it is golden in colour and pulling away from the sides of the pan.
As soon as the cake is baked remove it from the oven. Place it onto a rack or trivet to cool, in the same position as in the oven.

After 15 minutes cooling, use a serrated bread knife, trim any excess cake that covers the central hole. This will allow the cake to release easily when turned out.
Turn the Bundt cake out on to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

Preparing And Using The Chocolate Drizzle

Chop up the milk chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl, then add the cream.
Pour approximately 5 cm of water into a small saucepan, then place the heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan, ensuring that it does not touch the water.
Place the saucepan on a medium heat and stir the chocolate and cream together until all the white chocolate has melted and combined with the cream.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste to the bowl and stir to mix.
Next, use a skewer to dip into the colouring gel. Swirl the skewer into the melted chocolate until you reach your desired colour.
Leave the coloured chocolate to cool and thicken slightly.
When you are ready to decorate, place the cake on a rack over a baking tray, this is buy far the easiest method which I forgot to do! Alternatively, place the cake on to a serving plate, however, any excess chocolate drizzle will need to be removed with a spoon and some kitchen roll!
Start spooning the coloured chocolate on top of the Bundt cake, ensuring that it drips down the sides of the cake. Continue drizzling until the is covered on top, yet still has some uncovered sponge around the sides.
Leave for 5-10 minutes to set. During this time, if you have your cake on a plate, clean up any excess drizzle and wipe the plate with kitchen roll.
After the drizzle has slightly set move the cake on to a serving plate (for those who used the rack over baking pan method).

Decorating The Bundt Cake With Mini Eggs:

First of all, remove appropriately half of the mini eggs from the bag and place into a bowl.
Next, ensure the top of the mini egg bag is securely closed, hit the bag with a rolling pin a few times to break up the remaining eggs.
Start decorating the top of the cake with mini eggs. The chocolate drizzle should be slightly tacky and act like a glue, adhering the eggs to the cake. Because the chocolate is not fully set hold each egg in place for a few seconds, before moving on to the next mini egg. Including cracked eggs as you decorate enhances the finished cake.
Rotating the cake will ensure an even distribution of whole and cracked eggs on the top.
Finally, place the remaining eggs around the base of the cake, adding a few eggs to the hollow centre. See the photos below for guidance.

As soon as the cake decoration is complete, carefully transfer the cake to a fridge to fully set. Depending on the time of year, it should take between 2 and 4 hours, or overnight, to set.

Serving The Mini Egg Bundt Cake

To serve, remove the cake from the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature. Alternatively, if it’s a very hot day, remove from the fridge, slice and serve immediately.

If You Have Enjoyed This Easter Recipe For A Mini Egg Bundt Cake, You may Also Like These:

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Chocolate Mini Egg Brownies

Brownies topped with bright, colourful mini eggs and a white chocolate drizzle. — Chocolate Mini Egg Brownies

Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

Cupcakes with chocolate piped nests filled with mini eggs. — Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

Easter is a time when we come together with family and friends, however for Christians it is also a time when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. While eggs symbolise new life, so does the resurrection of Christ. His love for us is beyond measure, which He shows by sacrificing His life, on our behalf, dying on the cross. If you would like to know more about Jesus, please see my post Important Stuff. Because the real truth of Easter is so much more than chocolate!

Whatever you are making, baking and creating this Easter, I hope that you have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie x

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread

So, I’d like to wish a Happy Easter everyone. And welcome to the first, new blog post in well over a year! Finally, I am thrilled to be sharing my recipe for Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread squares with you. Also, I am equally excited at finally having all the dots join up so that I can create a recipe, make and test it, photograph it, edit the photos, write the blog post and then publish it!

So, as previously mentioned, there is a lot that goes into creating content that is up to standard for my blog. And I sure have a corker of a recipe for you today.

What Is Millionaires Shortbread?

Because, these Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread squares are absolutely scrumptious, sharing the recipe seems only fair. And, I say that as someone who’s not generally a fan of anything too sweet. Especially caramel! So, to create an Easter treat that I could enjoy too I made some adjustments to the final recipe.

Millionaires Shortbread comprises of three layers; a shortbread base, topped with caramel and then covered in chocolate. When cut into squares they are the ultimate, sweet tooth lover’s favourite treat. So, to add a little balance, I added some sea salt to the caramel and mixed dark and milk chocolate together for the topping. While the white chocolate is sweeter, there is only a small amount as it is used to create a beautiful marble effect.

Why Use Galaxy Mini Eggs

There are so many different types of chocolate mini eggs available to buy nowadays, it really makes Easter baking so much fun. And, it’s there in the name of this blog, when we bake, we want it to be fun and delicious! So, I found some mini eggs that seemed the perfect topping to Millionaires Shortbread. They are made by Galaxy and the packaging says “they’re Galaxy chocolate with crunchy caramel rolled in rose gold.”

I love mini eggs, it’s a thing, if you know you know and well if you don’t that means more for me!! And I love a bit of bling. Tasteful, rose gold with tones of bronze bling. Chocolate is a given and caramel, well?? Not normally, but these mini eggs are very subtle on the caramel and the crunch is literally the icing on the cake. So that’s what I did, literally, use them as the perfect decoration for my Easter Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread.

The combination of flavours and textures will have your mouth singing and your heart dancing.

Recipe for Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread – makes 15 squares

For The Shortbread Base:

300g/10oz Plain White Flour

200g/7oz Softened Unsalted Butter

100g/4oz Caster Sugar

1 Large Free Range Egg

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon

2tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

For The Caramel Middle:

150g/5oz Unsalted Butter

100g/4oz Golden Syrup

379g Can of Condensed Milk – I use Carnation

1/4tsp Sea Salt

For The Chocolate Topping And Decoration:

200g/7oz Milk Chocolate

100g/4oz Dark Chocolate

50g/2oz White Chocolate

2 x 80g Packets of Galaxy Enchanted Eggs – available from most supermarkets

Bronze crunch sprinkles – available from Waitrose

Making The Shortbread Base

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan, gas mark 3, 325F.

First of all, lightly butter a 28cm x 20cm x 5cm (11″x 8″x 2″) swiss roll tin and line with baking parchment.
Next add the softened butter, caster sugar, vanilla extract, egg and salt into a large bowl. Whisk until pale and creamy.
Then sift in the plain flour and then stir with a spoon until the whole shortbread dough comes together.

Tip the shortbread dough into the prepared tin and then using the back of a spoon press the dough evenly into the tin.
Prick the shortbread dough all over with a fork. This will stop any air bubbles forming under the cooked shortbread.

Baking The Shortbread

Now place the tin into the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. Turn the tin around halfway through baking, ensuring the shortbread is baked evenly.
The shortbread is baked when it is a golden colour and firm to touch.
As soon as the shortbread is baked remove the tin from the oven and set to one side.

Making The Caramel

Add the butter, golden syrup and condensed milk to a medium sized saucepan, over a medium heat.
Stir continuously until the butter is melted, then increase the heat to bring the liquid up to a bubbling boil. Take care as you continue to stir as the caramel becomes very hot. The caramel gradually becomes thicker and as it does it will darken. This process takes 10-15 minutes, do not rush as the caramel may burn.
Remove the caramel mixture from the heat and spoon over the cooled shortbread.
Work quickly, using the back of a metal dessert spoon to smooth the caramel so that it completely covers the shortbread.
Sprinkle the sea salt flakes evenly over the caramel.
Set the caramel covered shortbread to one side to cool completely.

Making The Marbled Chocolate Topping And Decorating

Break the milk and dark chocolate up and place into a heatproof, microwaveable bowl.
Heat the chocolate for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.
As soon as the chocolate has started to melt, remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. Continue stirring until the chocolate is completely liquid. If needed, zap the chocolate in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time, until the chocolate is completely melted.

Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel covered shortbread. Use the back of a clean dessert spoon to spread it evenly.
Melt the white chocolate as given for the milk/dark chocolate. Because there is a smaller amount it will melt much quicker.
Spoon the melted white chocolate onto the milk and dark chocolate layer.
Drag a skewer lightly back and forth through the chocolate to create marble effect.
Finally, place the burnished, mini eggs onto the melted chocolate and then sprinkle over the bronze crunch.
Place to one side until just set.

Portioning The Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread Squares

As soon as the chocolate has set, but not hard, use a sharp knife to lightly score the chocolate squares. This makes it much easier to cut through the hard, set block without the chocolate cracking.
Place the tin in the fridge until the chocolate is set hard.
Once set remove the tin from the fridge. Lift the whole block out of the tin using the baking parchment.
Peel the parchment away from the sides.
Use a sharp knife to cut through the entire block along the previously scored lines.
Tip – make a note of where your scoring lines are, on the excess baking parchment, before adding the eggs and sprinkles. It will make cutting the squares much easier!

Place the Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread squares onto a platter and serve cold.

I absolutely love sharing what I bake. Today, I wrapped up a chilled square and gave it to our shopping delivery driver. It’s always a lovely feeling making someone else smile.

To find out why Easter is more than baking to me read

Important Stuff.

If you have enjoyed these Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread squares then you may also like these:

Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake

Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

Finally, it is so good to be posting new recipes for you to try again. While the last two years have been undoubtedly difficult for all of us, we are now, hopefully coming out of the shadows of COVID. Although for those of you who lost loved ones and friends to the pandemic, that phrase may still feel a long way off. Most importantly for me, is the need to hold onto hope. And it is with that hope that I wish you all a safe, peaceful and healthy Easter.

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens I hope you are now able to share your feast in person, with those you love and care for.

Sammie x

No party of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

Finally, Easter is almost here and yet this year some things feel very different. Usually the shop windows are decked out with flowers, bunnies and beautiful springtime scenes, but not this year. And taking time to carefully choose Easter eggs for our friends and loved ones isn’t an option. Because we are all at home due to the Coronavirus. So, at the time of writing, we are in lockdown, only allowed out for essential food shopping, exercise and medical appointments. The world as we know it has been paused and it can feel overwhelming and scary. So for me, doing things that are relaxing and routine really helps. For example making and baking this Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake not only calmed me, it was very much appreciated by my family here at home too.

Easter chocolate and vanilla marbled traybake cake, topped with Cadbury’s mini eggs. — Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

Easter Baking Inspiration

Because certain ingredients are not easy to get hold of at this time I have added a few notes to the recipe to allow for this. While I topped this chocolate and vanilla marble cake with Cadbury’s mini chocolate eggs (with the addition of a few tiny Sainsbury’s eggs that I had), you can use whatever eggs you like, or can get. Since the beauty and fun of home baking is that you can make it your own. Alternatively, you could create an image of an Easter chick or bunny using mini eggs? Since the possibilities are only limited by your imagination and skill!

Easter themed easy cake bake. — Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

I love seeing the range of different Easter bakes that people make. While looking on Pinterest for inspiration, the beautiful pastel colours of Cadbury’s mini eggs always catch my eye. And it certainly helps that they taste so yummy too. I have used them here on my Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake, a delicious Easter dessert centrepiece.

While this Easter traybake is cut into 12 large squares it can easily be portioned into small pieces. Because the cake is chocolate and vanilla marbled together, this bake is not overly sweet or heavy.

Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake – makes 12 large cake squares

For the cake:

275g/9oz Unsalted Butter

275g/9oz Caster Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt – I use Maldon

2 tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

5 Large Free Range Eggs (if you only have medium sized eggs that’s fine, simply add an extra tablespoon of milk)

350g/12oz Plain White Flour (if using self raising flour leave out the baking powder)

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tbsp Milk (whole or semi-skimmed are fine)

25g/1oz Cocoa Powder

For decorating the cake:

150ml/5fl oz Double Cream (heavy cream) – optional see note in decorating.

150g/5oz Milk Chocolate roughly chopped – use good quality chocolate with a minimum cocoa content of 30%

75g/3oz White Chocolate roughly chopped

Large Family Bag – approximately 300g/10oz Cadbury’s Mini Eggs, alternatively use your own choice of chocolate mini eggs.

Making The Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan, gas mark 2, 300F.

First of all you will need a 22.5cm x 30cm (9in x 12in) deep baking tin lined with baking parchment.
Place the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla extract into a large bowl and whisk together until pale and creamy.
Crack all of the eggs into a separate bowl with the milk and beat together lightly with a fork.
Pour the beaten eggs and milk onto the creamed sugar and butter.
Next, sift the flour and baking powder into the same bowl.
Whisk or beat all of the ingredients together until combined.
Remove approximately half of the cake batter into a separate bowl.
Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and mix thoroughly.

You now have two cake batters to create the marbled traybake.

Using the picture below as a guide scoop the vanilla cake batter into the prepared tin in random dollops.
Next do the same with the chocolate cake batter, filling in the spaces.
Use a butter knife to swirl the two cake batters together, taking care to ensure the batter is even across the tray and reaches the edges.

Baking The Marbled Traybake Cake

Place the tin in the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
The cake is baked when it springs back from a light touch in the centre and near the sides.
As soon as the cake is baked remove it from the oven.
Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin.
Carefully remove the cake from the tin and place on a cooling rack.
Leave to cool completely before decorating.

Note – Making a chocolate ganache topping for the cake makes it easier to slice through. Alternatively, melt the milk chocolate and pour directly onto the cake. Also, when nearly set, score lines through the chocolate to portion the cake, this will make cutting it once set easier.

Icing The Marbled Traybake

First of all make the milk chocolate ganache. Place the chopped milk chocolate and cream into a bowl set over a saucepan with a small amount of simmering water in the bottom. Importantly, make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir the chocolate and cream together until fully melted and combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl a zap in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate into a small piping bag. Alternatively, you can use a teaspoon to drizzle the white chocolate onto the cake.
As soon as the cake is cooled it can be decorated. Pour the milk chocolate ganache onto the centre of the cake. Continue pouring evenly towards the edges until the top of the cake is covered.

Pipe or drizzle white chocolate lines onto the chocolate ganache before it sets. Use a skewer to marble both chocolates together.
Also, use a skewer to mark out the cake portions by drawing lines through the chocolate.

Decorating The Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

While the chocolate is still unset add the mini eggs in whatever pattern you choose.
Scoring the portions before adding the mini eggs really does make slicing the cake, once set, easier. Have you ever tried to cut through a chocolate mini egg?!
Place the decorated traybake into a fridge for at least an hour to fully set.
As soon as the chocolate is set remove the cake from the fridge.
Use a clean knife to slice through each scored line, wiping the knife with a clean, damp cloth in between each new cut. Now cut around the outside edge of the cake, separating any excess chocolate from the side of the traybake.

Finally, run a palette knife underneath each cake portion and the baking parchment.

Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Easter Cake — Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

Place the cake squares onto a platter and share with your lockdown family.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. For the best flavour and texture serve at room temperature.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Mini Egg Marbled Traybake Cake you may also like these other Easter bakes:

Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies

Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake

Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

Vanilla mini egg nest Easter cupcakes. — Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

The True Importance Of Easter

While I really enjoy baking and sharing my bakes with others, Easter is the most important celebration in my year. Because, as a Christian, this is the time of year that Jesus’ death and resurrection are remembered and celebrated. Usually, Easter Sunday is a special time of thanksgiving and worship at church. Yet this year we will be celebrating in our homes, joined together as a church through an online service. Each of us celebrating and remembering the most important gift of salvation that is free to us all through Jesus Christ. If you would like to know more please read Important Stuff.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie x

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake

My Easter Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake is a spectacular, yet easy to make cake that is the perfect centrepiece for Easter feasting and celebration. Rich chocolate sponge sandwiched together with whipped chocolate ganache and decorated with speckled Cadbury’s mini eggs. An Easter celebration cake.

Since Easter is only a week away it is impossible to miss the sheer quantity of chocolate and variety of eggs available in the shops. And having spotted the mini, micro eggs in Sainsbury’s last year which were used in these Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies, I was delighted to see them in stock again this year for Easter baking! While Cadbury’s mini eggs are both beautiful and cute, the micro eggs are like their smaller cousins. Also, they are small enough to be used as the filling in a sponge layer cake.

FF Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake — Easter Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake

While this cake certainly has plenty of sweetness from the chocolate eggs, I decided to keep the frosting less sweet. Since chocolate ganache is simply chocolate and cream melted together and then cooled, it provides the perfect balance to the sweet vanilla coated, milk chocolate mini eggs. Also, it has the advantage of being whipped when cool. Resulting in a spreadable frosting that is also ideal for attaching eggs to the cake.

Futhermore, adding 6 whole, large eggs to the cake batter ensures a rich, moist chocolate sponge. Once filled and decorated this cake provides a real wow factor. So it is perfect for feasting, sharing and celebrating Easter.

Recipe: Easter Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake serves 10-12

For the cake:

300g/10.5oz Unsalted Butter softened at room temperature plus extra for greasing tins

1/2tsp Sea Salt (halve if using free flowing) – I use Maldon

175g/6oz Dark Brown Muscavado Sugar – I use Billingtons

125g/4.5oz White Caster Sugar

2tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

6 Large Free Range Eggs

200g/7oz Plain White Flour

100g/4oz Cocoa Powder – I use Callebaut

2tsp Baking Powder

For the icing and decoration:

250ml/9fl oz Double Cream (heavy cream)

250g/9oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate minimum 70% Cocoa Solids

2 x 328g Cadbury’s Mini Eggs or similar – this quantity is sufficient to fill and top the cake if needed

1 x 100g Mini Chocolate Micro Eggs available from Sainsbury’s

Method: Preheat oven to 160C/140C fan, 325F, gas mark 3

For this recipe you will need 2 x 20cm (8in) sandwich tins at least 5cm (2in) deep.

Making the chocolate cake sponges

First of all grease both sandwich tins and line the base with baking parchment.
Into a large bowl add the butter, salt and both types of sugar.
Whisk together until the mixture is uniform in colour. Whisking time approximately 5 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
Crack 6 large eggs into the bowl.
Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the bowl.
Whisk all the ingredients together. Scrape the side and base of the bowl with a spatula and continue whisking until thoroughly combined.

Divide the cake batter evenly between 2 tins, smoothing the surface.
Place the cake tins in the centre and lower part of the oven and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour.
The cakes are baked when pressed they spring back from a light touch. Also an inserted skewer comes out clean.
As soon as the cakes are baked remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes in the tin.
Turn the cake out of the tin, carefully peel away the baking parchment. Leave to completely cool on a cooling rack.

While the cakes are cooling make the chocolate ganache.

Creating the chocolate ganache

Place a small saucepan containing 2.5cm/1” of water over a low heat. Allow the water to come up to a very gentle simmer over low heat.
Use a heatproof bowl and place on top of the saucepan ensuring the base does not touch the water.
Add the cream and chocolate to the bowl and stir.
As soon as the chocolate has completely melted remove the bowl and set to one side to cool. Placing on a windowsill with the window slightly open will help the ganache cool more quickly.
When cooled whisk the ganache until thickened to spreading consistency.

Filling and decorating the Easter cake

Place a cooled chocolate sponge, flat side down, on to a plate or board.
Spoon half of the chocolate ganache on to the cake and spread to cover to the cake edge.

Use micro eggs (alternatively use Cadbury’s mini eggs) and place around the edge of the cake, pressing into the ganache to secure them.
Fill in the surface of the cake with the remaining eggs.
Place the second sponge, flat side down, on top of the decorated bottom sponge.

Spoon the remaining ganache on to the top of the cake. Spread the ganache so that it covers evenly.
Cover the top of the cake with Cadbury’s mini eggs. Let your creative juices flow! Most of all ensure the eggs are pressed firmly into the ganache to secure.

Place the cake into a fridge for an hour to firm up the ganache.

Slicing the cake is easier once it has been chilled.

Slice with a sharp knife dipped in a jug of hot water and wiped dry after each cut. Doing so creates cleanly cut slices of cake, ready to be served.

Store any remaining cake wrapped well in cling film and refrigerated. Eat within 3 days.

The cakes can be made a day ahead and stored wrapped in baking parchment in an airtight container.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Easter Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake you may also like these:

Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread

Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake

Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

An Easter marbled traybake bake decorated with Cadbury’s mini eggs. — Mini Egg Marbled Traybake

Easter Sunday, for me is about remembering and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, following His death on the previous Friday. If you would like to know more about this see Important Stuff .Although creating a cake that looks like a celebration is not that difficult to do. Yet, using pretty mini eggs with their speckled shells on top of this Easter Chocolate Mini Egg Sponge Cake makes decorating so easy. Especially as the eggs themselves represent new life. Both in the natural world of new birth in Springtime and through the love freely given to us in Jesus Christ.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating this Easter, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies

Easter weekend is finally here. Four days holiday for most people. Enjoying the good weather, lawns are mowed, kitchens prepare treats for the weekend, while teenagers prepare for upcoming exams. Whatever you and your family are doing my Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies Easter bake is sure to bring about a smile.

The base of these brownies is a chocolate biscuit. Rather like a slightly harder version of the soft, squidgy brownie on top. So the advantage is that with a firmer base these brownies are easier to pick up and hold. While developing this recipe my thoughts were directed by practicality.

Single Easter Mini Egg Brownie — Easter Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies

No matter how practical these brownies are, they absolutely had to be fun, as well as tasty. Since the addition of pretty, pastel Cadbury’s mini eggs was a necessity. So also were the party streamer, piped coloured chocolate drizzles. Resulting in a beautiful, yet fun, Easter treat.

FF Colourful Easter Brownies — Colourful Easter Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies

An Edible Easter Mini Egg Work Of Art

While this may look like a complicated bake, it absolutely isn’t. First of all the biscuit base is made, then baked. Once cooled the brownie topping, is poured over. Followed by a generous sprinkle of chocolate mini eggs, another quick bake. Finally after cooling you can let your creativity run wild, decorating your bake.

A quick note: This bake will look and taste just as good if you’d prefer not to use coloured Candy Melts. Since this is your bake, feel free to add coloured sprinkles, chocolates or whatever you like. Most importantly, have fun!!!

Recipe: Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies makes 24

For the Biscuit Base

225g/8oz Unsalted Butter

150g/5oz Light Brown Sugar

1 Large Free Range Egg

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

75g/3oz Cocoa Powder – I use Callebaut

200g/7oz Plain White Flour

For the Brownies

200g/7oz Plain Chocolate – minimum 70% Cocoa solids

200g/7oz Milk Chocolate – minimum 35% Cocoa solids

225g/8oz Unsalted Butter

4 Large Free Range Eggs

225g/8oz Dark Brown Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4tsp Salt

75g/3oz Plain White Flour

1/2tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Decoration:

1 x Family Pack (326g) of Cadbury’s Mini Eggs or the rough equivalent weight in smaller bags/tubes

75g/3oz of each of the following :

White Chocolate, Wilton or PME Candy Melts – Pink/Blue/Purple Candy Melts -available from Amazon

Any additional decorations that you like – I found a bag of really small mini eggs from Sainsbury’s.

Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, gas mark 4, 350F.

Making The Chocolate Biscuit Base

First of all grease a 33cm x 23cm x 5cm (13″ x 9″ x 2″) tin with a little butter. Line the base and sides with baking parchment.

Starting with the biscuit base, add the butter, salt and sugar to a large bowl. Beat until fully combined and free from lumps.
Next add the egg and vanilla, continue mixing until smooth.
Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into the same bowl. Starting at a slow speed mix the ingredients until combined.
Finally tip the biscuit base dough into the baking tin. Spread the dough, using the back of a spoon until it evenly covers the base of the tin.
Place the tin into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the base is baking, make the Brownie topping.

Making The Brownie Topping

Break up the chocolate (or chop) into individual squares, dice the butter and place both into a heat proof bowl.Place the bowl over a simering pan of water (a double boiler) ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Stir continuously until both the chocolate and butter are two thirds melted.
Carefully remove the bowl from the pan and continue stirring until the contents are completely melted.
Into another large bowl add the eggs, vanilla and sugar.
Mix together to combine.
While still slowly mixing pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the larger bowl.
Mix until completely combined – try not to incorporate too much air whilst mixing.
Sift the flour, bicarb. and salt into the bowl.
Using a large metal spoon, fold all the ingredients together.

FF Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies — Creating and baking the layers of the **Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies**

The biscuit base, once baked may still be a little soft to touch, however it will be darker than the uncooked dough.
Remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Adding The Brownie Batter Topping

Pour the brownie batter over the biscuit base. Tilt the tin to ensure even coverage.
Follow by sprinkling 200g of mini eggs on to the brownie batter.
Place the tin back in the oven and bake for a further 20-25 minutes.
The brownie batter is baked when it has a sheen and does not wobble in the centre.
Remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool completely.
As soon as it is completely cooled remove the entire bake from the tin and place on a solid surface.
Cut centrally through the length and width with a sharp knife. Now cut each half into 12 even sized portions.

Decorating The Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies

Place 75g of each coloured Candy Melt or chocolate into a separate heatproof, microwaveable bowl.
Heat the first bowl for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between until the chocolate is fluid.
Spoon the liquid into a small, disposable, piping bag. Be careful, it will be very warm.
Snip the very end of the bag off and pipe whatever pattern you wish over the top of the bake.
Continue, in exactly the same way with the second colour.
Follow this by adding extra mini eggs or decorations, hold a few back.
Prepare and pipe the third colour, allowing some to cover the newly added eggs.
Finally finish with white chocolate, piped all over the bake and sprinkle any remaining decorations.

Place to one side to allow the chocolate to set.

Easter Mini Egg Brownie Bake — Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies

Serve with a big smile and my preference, a glass of cold milk.

If you have enjoyed this Easter recipe for Chocolate Biscuit Base Mini Egg Brownies you may also like these:

Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake

Chocolate Monster Mini Egg Cookies

Mini Vanilla Egg Nest Cupcakes

Since most of these recipes are designed specifically for Easter and for using left over chocolate, I hope that you will make them throughout the year. Although, that may not be a good thing for our bodies? Maybe the fun is in making them only during the Easter Holidays.

I wish everyone who reads this a very Happy Easter, please see Important Stuff.

Sammie xx

No party of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

This month I am linking up with Stuart at Cakey Boi and Kat at The Baking Explorer who is hosting this month’s Treat Petite .

Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns

These Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns really do take the humble, yet delicious and traditional Easter Bun to another level. As their spiced aroma escapes the kitchen, it fills the whole house with warmth. Turning a house into a welcoming home. While neighbours, out in their gardens, stop, wondering whose house the aromatic aroma originates from.

Homemade – You Know What’s In These Buns

Easy to make and bake, these Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns are so worth the little effort required. These are not the small, pappy, squidged into a ball, cheap supermarket versions. Instead they are filled with fruit, in a good sized bun, that also contains a small amount of wholemeal flour. Indeed, one bun is a substantial breakfast.

FF Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns — **Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns** deliciously good for you.

Since these Easter buns are homemade, we know every ingredient they contain. Yet, what they don’t have is any artificial ingredients. Also they work out much cheaper to make, than bought ones. Plus, the extra smell when you split and toast them, is priceless!

The absolute thrill for me, when developing a new recipe, is my family’s reaction. Good or bad, I know it can be trusted. Words like “yummy”, “can I have another one please?” and “have you taken the photographs yet?” all feed into my sense of recipe security. As I’m going to be sharing the recipe with my readers, it needs to be robust and reliable. Hence only tried and tested recipes make their way on to this blog.

Recipe: Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns makes 12

150ml Tap Water
150ml Whole Milk – slightly warmed to body temperature
2 Large Free Range Eggs
10g Fast Action Dried Yeast – I use Allinson in the green pot or sachets
1tbsp Honey
450g/1lb Strong White Flour – I use Shipton Mill
50g/2oz Strong Wholemeal Flour
10g Salt – I use Maldon
50g/2oz Unsalted Butter cut into small cubes
200g/7oz Mixed Dried Fruits – Sultanas/Raisins/Currants
4tsp Cinnamon
1tsp Ginger
50g/2oz Plain White Flour and 50mls Tap Water for the crosses.
For the glaze:
3tbsp Runny Honey plus 1tsp water

Method:

Making And Proving The Enriched Dough

Into the bowl of a stand mixer add the water, milk, eggs, honey and yeast.
Next, on top of the liquids add the strong white and wholemeal flour.
Then add the salt and butter.
Fit the stand mixer with a dough hook and then lock the bowl into place.
Lower the dough hook and start mixing on a slow speed. Continue mixing at this speed for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes has elapsed gradually increase the mixer speed to moderately high. Again mix for a further 5 minutes, then stop the mixer and lift the dough hook.
Remove a small piece of dough and stretch it until you can see light through it. This is known as the windowpane test. If the dough tears continue mixing, checking every couple of minutes until it passes the windowpane test.
Once it has finished kneading, turn the speed on the mixer to low and add the spices and fruit. Mix for a further 2 minutes to incorporate the fruit and spices.
Following this, stop the mixer, raise the dough hook and scrape any dough into the bowl using your fingers.
Unlock the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and place somewhere draught free.

The dough has more than doubled in size.

For detailed set by step photos please see Hot Cross Buns

Shaping The Individual Buns And Giving Then A Second Prove

Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface, it will be quite sticky. Knead the dough lightly to form a ball and then weigh it. I place baking parchment on flat, digital scales. Note the weight and then divide it by 12, leaving the parchment on the scales.
Now cut the dough in half. As each bun is weighed this doesn’t have to be exact.
Follow by forming each dough half into a log shape. Cut each dough log into six.
Weigh the first piece of dough and adjust as necessary to obtain the correct weight.
Hold the dough in one hand while using the other to turn and tuck the underneath in, creating a tight ball shape. Place the ball on to the baking tray. Continue until all 12 balls have been made.
Cover the tray with a clean tea towel and place in a draught free place until doubled in size.

Making And Piping The Crosses

While the buns have their second prove, make the paste for the crosses. Place the flour and water into a bowl, mix until lump free. Spoon the white flour paste into a small piping bag, secure the top with a peg/rubber band and stand the bag in a glass until needed.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7.

The dough buns and after the second proof.

Once doubled in size, snip off the very end of the piping bag.
Pipe straight lines of paste. First of all piping across the tray and then down the tray.

Baking And Glazing The Hot Cross Buns

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes. When baked they will be golden brown and sound hollow when rapped on the base with a knuckle.
Once baked remove from the oven. Remove the buns from the tray on to a cooling rack, with a clean baking tray underneath.
Measure the honey and water into a small microwaveable bowl. Heat in the microwave until bubbling. Remove carefully as it will be hot.
Stir the honey and water to mix.
Use a pastry brush to cover each hot bun in honey.

Wait for the buns to cool before eating. Then serve as is or toasted and buttered with a big smile.

The buns will keep for 3 days if toasted. Also they freeze extremely well for up to one month.

If you have enjoyed this Easter recipe for Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns then you may also like other Easter bakes:

Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns

Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate Mini Egg Brownies

It would be very easy to double up on this recipe and share homemade Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns with friends, neighbours and family over the Easter period.

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake

Easter is nearly upon us. Shops are filled with fluffy bunnies, chocolate chicks and all manner of chocolate eggs. While surveying the vast selection, I found Galaxy Chocolate Golden Mini Eggs. And they are perfect for decorating an Easter celebration cake. Especially my Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake.

The reason for Easter

Easter Sunday is the Christian celebration of new life. Although Jesus had died two days prior, hanging on a cross. Yet when His friends went to visit Him the following Sunday, the tomb where He had been placed was empty. Shocked and outraged, one of the women spoke to the gardener, wanting to know where He had gone. The response came “Why look for the living among the dead.”

As the prophecies had foretold, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, had risen from the dead. He had overcome death. Forever. So that we, may have life, in Him. Hence the chicks and eggs, bunnies and lambs in the shops, represent new life. Gold, for me on this cake, represents the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus. He who could not be contained by death. Even though He was brutally punished and died wearing a crown made from thorns. Is now alive, bearing the scars of death, yet as alive as you and I. Please see Important Stuff.

FF Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake — **Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake**

While celebrating over Easter, take a moment, to think about what it means to you. As you make and bake this cake, remember the love, His love, that He offers you. Even now, as Easter is treated as an extra holiday. Consider the real truth behind it. With Jesus their is always hope, without Him, who do you place your hope in?

Recipe: Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake serves 8-10

225g/8oz Unsalted Butter softened

225g/8oz Light Brown Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Eaxtract – I use Nielsen-Massey

1/4tsp Salt -I use Maldon

5 Large Free Range Eggs

100ml Buttermilk

150g/5oz Plain White Flour

75g Cocoa Powder – I use Callebaut

2tsp Baking Powder

For frosting and decorating:

3-4tbsp Salted Chocolate Spread – I use Hawkshead Relish new MUDD spread

alternatively use a chocolate spread of your choice.

200g/7oz Unsalted Butter

400g/14oz Plain Icing Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract

2tbsp Hot Water – from a recently boiled kettle

2 x 80g bags Galaxy Mini Golden Eggs

Optional – gold/copper sprinkles

Method: Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3, 325F

Grease 2 x 20cm/8″ sandwich tins with butter. Line the base of each tin with baking parchment.

Making and baking the chocolate sponge cakes

First of all, place a sieve over a bowl. Then sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl. Set the bowl to one side. Dry ingredients.
Next, place the eggs and buttermilk into a jug. Whisk lightly using a fork. Wet ingredients.
Place the butter, brown butter and salt into a large bowl. Beat until well combined and free from lumps.
Next add the vanilla extract. Continue to beat until incorporated.
Take the jug of wet ingredients and pour on to the butter mixture. Then add the sifted dry ingredients.
Beat the ingredients in the bowl gently, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Continue to beat the ingredients until fully combined.
Divide the chocolate sponge batter equally between the two prepared cake tins.
Place the cake tins into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.

The cakes are baked when they spring back from a light touch and a cake tester comes out clean.
As soon as the cakes are baked remove them from the oven.
Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for 20 minutes and then tip them out on to a cooling rack.
Once cooled carefully remove the baking parchment from the base of each cake.

Making the frosting and decorating the cake:

While the cakes are cooling the buttercream frosting can be made.
Place the butter into a large bowl, or the bowl of a free standing mixer with paddle attachment.
Next add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Now whisk or beat the butter until it is softer and pale.
Add all of the icing sugar to the bowl and 2 tablespoons of very hot water.
Start mixing very slowly and then as the butter and icing sugar start to combine increase the mixing speed. Continue until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Fit a large icing bag with a large closed star, or drop flower piping nozzle. I have a Wilton #2D piping nozzle.
Fill the piping bag with the whipped buttercream.
Place the bottom of the cake on to a plate.
Spread the Salted Chocolate Spread over the cake. Follow by piping the buttercream so that it covers the spread. Start at the outside edge of the cake, piping in circles until the centre is reached.
Place the top of the cake evenly on to the bottom.

Pipe buttercream on to the top of the cake, in the same way the base was covered.
And then pipe 6 swirls, slightly set in from the edge of the cake. See the photograph below.

Finally, decorate the top of the cake with the mini golden eggs and sprinkles.

And the cake is now ready to be served.

Serve with a smile to friends and family. Alternatively gift the cake to someone special.

This cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Refrigerate is the weather is hot.

If you have enjoyed this Easter recipe for Golden Egg Chocolate Sponge Cake you may also like these:

Vanilla Mini Nest Egg Cupcakes

Hot Cross Buns

Chocolate Monster Mini Egg Cookies

While celebrating Easter is especially important to me, having a real, everyday relationship with Jesus is more important. Rather than dealing with life on my own, He is always there. Because of what He endured on the cross and in His life, Jesus understands. So as well as being my Saviour, He is also my friend.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

Hawkshead Relish gifted a jar of Salted Chocolate Spread to me. This is not a sponsored post. All views, opinions, content including photographs are my own. The entire content of this post is covered by Copyright and I.P. laws. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

Since Easter Sunday is tomorrow, I simply couldn’t resist one last Easter themed bake. So, here are my Easter Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes.

Vanilla cupcakes, swirled with real chocolate buttercream, sprinkled with dark chocolate curls and chocolate mini eggs nestling in the centre.

So, delicious and easy to make, Easter Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes have the perfect balance of cake, chocolate buttercream and Cadbury’s mini eggs.

RT Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes — **Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes** beautiful in tulip wrappers.

So, with ALL of the chocolate that is around over the Easter period, a vanilla cupcake to provides the perfect balance. While I love a deep chocolatey cake, like my Chocolate Sparkle Cake sometimes too much chocolate can be over powering!

Also, I adore the crisp, vanilla shell on Cadbury’s mini eggs and wanted to echo that in the cupcake. Likewise, a lighter chocolate buttercream, piped on these cupcakes, works with the mini eggs, rather than swamping them.

Homemade Easter Gifts

And these Easter Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes are an inexpensive way of making a few packets of mini eggs go a long way and are great to give as gifts. Since I personally love homemade gifts, these would be a very welcome gift indeed.

Either wrap each cupcake in cellophane, tie with raffia or place in little cupcake boxes tied with ribbon, presentation is key. Now they are ready to be given as gifts. My niece made a version of these and gave them to her teachers at Primary School as an end of term, Easter thank you, where they are proving very popular!

Recipe: Makes 12 Easter Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

100g/4oz Unsalted Buter at room temperature

100g/4oz Caster Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

1/8tsp – pinch Sea Salt – I use Maldon

2 Large Free Range Eggs

100g/4oz Plain White Flour – self raising can be substituted but don’t add the extra baking powder.

1tsp Baking Powder

For the Chocolate Buttercream

300g/11oz Icing Sugar – sifted

150g/5oz Unsalted Butter – softened

175g/6oz Milk Chocolate

2 packets of Cadbury’s mini eggs

Dark chocolate curls, or Cadbury’s flake (x2)

Method: Preheat the oven to 160C/140C, gas mark 3, 325F

Making And Baking The Easter Vanilla Cupcakes

First of all place the butter and sugar into a bowl and whisk/beat until pale and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and whisk/beat until incorporated.
Next add 2 eggs, the sifted flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk/beat slowly until all the ingredients are just combined.
Using a metal spoon stir the mixture 2-3 times to ensure everything is combined.
Place 12 cupcake wrappers into a cupcake pan.
Scoop just under a dessert spoonful of cake batter into each cupcake wrapper.
Place the cupcakes into the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
The cupcakes are cooked when they are a golden brown colour and spring back from a light touch.
As soon as they are baked remove the cupcakes from the oven.
If using tulip cupcake cases, as I have, allow to cool completely in the tin, if not cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Transfer cupcakes in tulip wrappers to a cooling rack once cold.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the buttercream.

Making The Frosting And Decorating The Easter Cupcakes

Break up the chocolate, place in a microwaveable bowl and heat on medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted. Set to one side.
Whisk the sieved icing sugar, butter and vanilla extract until pale and smooth.
Add the cooled chocolate, whilst whisking. Continue whisking until you have light, fluffy, buttercream.
Fit a piping bag with a large star tip.
Fill the piping bag with the chocolate buttercream.
Pipe a single swirl around the outside edge of each cupcake.
Repeat, piping another swirl on top of the previous one.

Sprinkle dark chocolate curls, or broken up Cadbury’s flake around the swirls of chocolate buttercream.
Add mini eggs to the centre of the cupcakes.
My mini egg colours were kept the same, for impact, however, they also look very natural when the colours are mixed – let you creative juices flow!

These Easter Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes are such an easy bake, yet look professional enough to give as gifts.

A Savvy Purchase

Finally, a quick note about the tulip cupcake cases. Since they can be quite expensive, so I buy mine in bulk from Amazon UK. where the price per wrapper is much cheaper than alternatives found in supermarkets. Alternatively, get together with a baking buddy and split the package and cost. I bought 100 wrappers a couple of years ago and still have plenty left!

FF Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes — Easter Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes

A delicious gift for anyone at Easter time, taking around an hour to make, bake and decorate. Yet there is still time to make these before tomorrow.

As I said at the start of this post, Easter symbolises new birth. For me, as a Christian, that happened when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. If you would like to know more please see Important Stuff.

How you ever considered the true meaning of Easter and what it means to you?

If you have enjoyed these Easter Vanilla Mini Egg Nest Cupcakes here are some other mini egg recipes:

Chocolate Monster Mini Egg Cookies

Mini Egg Millionaires Shortbread

Chocolate Mini Egg Brownies

Mini Egg Bundt Cake

Mini Egg decorated Bundt Cake — Mini Egg Bundt Cake

I love reading your comments, so please keep them coming and seeing all your makes and bakes on Twitter/Instagram. Please pop a photo up and tag me in?

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and blessed Easter.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns

Oh boy do I have a treat for you. As Good Friday is tomorrow I decided to create one more Easter recipe, a twist on the traditional Hot Cross Buns that we all love to eat this time of year. May I present my Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns!

Having been sent some medjool dates from The Medjool Date Co. I wanted to incorporate them into different recipes. So in a moment of inspiration today I decided to use them in these Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns. How glad am I, that I had that moment of inspiration!

Now there are dates and there are medjool dates from Jordan. Once you have tried these medjool dates it is impossible to use any others – well for me it is! Big, sweet, but not tooth achingly so, good for you and they taste amazing. While I have been cooking and baking with them a few, ~~maybe more than a few~~ have been eaten along the way.

Creating A New Recipe

Knowing I had ordered some stem ginger in syrup from Waitrose a couple of weeks ago, instead of opting for crystallised ginger, I used their stem ginger. Finely diced it is the only ginger in the Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns. Using warm syrup from the stem ginger jar, to glaze the buns, still hot from the oven is the final touch.

These Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns are so utterly delicious eaten just as they are, sliced and buttered, or toasted and buttered. They make a fantastic alternative to traditional Hot Cross Buns and are great for those who dislike raisins/sultanas, or cinnamon.

RT Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns — **Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns** perfect buttered with a hot cup of tea.

I love baking our own hot cross buns for Good Friday. We always have them toasted, with butter and large cups of tea or coffee. For our family it is the start of Easter. The day we remember that Jesus Christ gave His life for us all on the cross at Calvery. In fact I’ve always wondered why it is called Good Friday? As truly thinking about what Jesus went through, for me, brings me to a place of deep conviction – please see Important Stuff if you’d like to know more.

Recipe: Makes 12 Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns

500g/1lb 2oz Strong White Bread Flour

140ml/scant 5fl oz Whole Milk – slightly warmed (body temperature)

120ml/4.5fl oz Water – slightly warmed (body temperature)

2 Large Eggs – I use free range

1tbsp Honey

10g/1.5 Sachet Fast Acting Dried Yeast

10g sea salt – I use Maldon

50g/2oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

150g/5oz Medjool Dates – pitted and chopped to medium dice

2 Balls of Stem Ginger – removed from the syrup and finely diced

1/2tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg

For the crosses:

50g/2oz Plain white flour

50ml/2fl oz Water

Approx 30mls of syrup from the stem ginger jar to glaze the baked buns

Method:

This method is for use with a bread maker or stand mixer, if you wish to make by hand, I suggest you look to the original recipe in Paul Hollywood’s book ‘How to Bake’ ISBN 9781 4088 19494.

Making The Spiced Sweet Bun Dough

The ‘bowl’ refers to the bowl of a stand mixer or the mixing compartment of a bread maker.

Add both the milk and water to the bowl.
Next add both eggs, the honey and yeast.
Swish about with clean fingers to mix.
Now add the flour on top of the liquid mixture.
Place the salt and butter on top of the flour.

For a bread maker, set the cycle to dough and press start. When prompted by the machine, or 5 minutes before mixing stops, add the chopped dates, finely diced stem ginger and nutmeg. Allow the bread maker to complete the dough cycle.

When the bread maker has completed the dough cycle, ensure the dough has doubled in size, if not wait until it has. Then re start the dough cycle for 2 minutes, this will ‘knock back’ the dough for you.

For a stand mixer attach the dough hook. Start mixing on a low speed. Once the contents of the bowl resemble dough continue to mix on medium/slow speed for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer. Scrape all the dough, from the hook, into the bowl. Add the chopped dates, finely diced stem ginger and nutmeg . Lower the dough hook and mix on medium speed for a further 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes mixing is complete, stop the mixer. Scrape all the dough back into the bowl, it will be very sticky – don’t worry. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a draught free place until doubled in size – 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

Once the stand mixer dough has doubled in size, lower the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, this will ‘knock back’ the dough for you.

Shaping the Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns

see Hot Cross Buns for full step by step photos.

First of all grease a large baking tray with butter.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
It will be quite sticky, so ensure you have floured your hands well.
Cut the dough in half and then cut each half into 6 even pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and place on the baking tray – the dough was very sticky so some of my balls weren’t perfect!

When all 12 buns have been shaped, cover the baking tray with a clean tea towel.
Leave the buns in a warm, draught free place, until doubled in size.
While the buns are proving, make the flour paste for the crosses. Add the water to the flour and mix until you have a smooth paste.
Place in a small, disposable piping bag and secure the top with an elastic band.
10 minutes before the buns are ready to bake preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7, 425F.

Snip the end off the piping bag, so there is a small hole.
Pipe down the line of buns and then across the line of buns.

Baking And Adding A Glaze To The Buns

Place the Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns into the middle of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. They are baked when they are golden brown and sound hollow when rapped on the base with your knuckle.
As soon as the buns are baked remove from the oven.
Take the buns off of the baking tray and place onto a cooling rack.
Remove approx 30mls of syrup from the stem ginger jar.
Place into a microwaveable bowl and heat for 20 seconds.
Brush the warm syrup over the buns whilst they are still hot.
Leave to cool until at least warm.

Biting into my very first, warm, Ginger Date Hot Cross Bun is an experience I will never forget!

So tomorrow morning on Good Friday, we have a choice of traditional Hot CrossBuns which I also baked today, or these delicious Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns.

Breakfast will truly be a feast, as much as making these has been fun!

If you’ve enjoyed these Easter Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns you may also want to try these other recipes:

Hot Cross Buns

Wholemeal Hot Cross Buns

Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns

Whatever you make or bake this Easter, I wish you a very happy time. I love seeing your bakes, so please pop a pic onto Twitter or Instagram and tag me in.

Sammie xx

@sammiefeasting Twitter/Instagram

Medjool Date Co. provided the dates for this recipe. All opinions, content and photographs are my own. I did not receive payment for writing this recipe. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

I have entered these Ginger Date Hot Cross Buns to the March Tea Time Treats Linky Party hosted by The Hedge Combers and Lavender and Lovage

Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns

Easter is nearly here and with it the traditional Hot Cross Buns, which I absolutely love. However, after seeing Waitrose selling a variety of different flavours, I decided to take on the Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns. Also, I’m very excited to say that this recipe is featured in The Guardian! See the end of this post for details.

I wanted to use the basic egg and milk enriched dough from my traditional Hot Cross Buns and experiment will cherries and almond flavouring.

As much as I absolutely love all things almond, especially flaked almonds, I decided to keep them out of these Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns. I wasn’t sure how they would interact with the dough and I still wanted the buns to have a soft, pillowy, interior.

FF Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns — Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns

Playing Around With Flavours

Leaving out the almonds was a great decision. These Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns are so light and very more-ish. Crunch would not have been a good thing!

Instead I used Sugar and Crumbs cherry bakewell icing sugar. Substituting it both for the honey in the dough mix and using it to glaze the buns, instead of apricot jam. This with the addition of some almond extract, gave the buns just the right hint of almond. The flavour is subtle and works so well with the fluffy, light bun.

Now for the cherries. I used both glacé and dried cherries. They both add their own flavour and pretty colour to these Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns. The dried cherries also give a lovely chewiness, similar to that of raisins. While the glacé cherries add bursts of sweetness, similar to that of mixed peel (of which I am most definitely not a fan!).

Hot Cross Buns – Not Just For Easter

Over all these Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns have been a huge hit in our home. So much so, that I can see myself making them all year round, although I’ll probably leave off the cross!

They are an utterly delicious bun, not dissimilar in taste to old fashioned, bakery, iced buns. Perfect toasted with butter, or eaten, as I did, just like an iced bun, with a lovely cup of tea.

Some Tips On How To Bake The Lightest Buns

If you haven’t made bread dough before, or used yeast in baking, please don’t be daunted by the prospect. Ensure the yeast you use is fresh. Yep, even fast action dried yeast, which is what we use in this recipe, loses its potency. So if you have yeast that’s been sitting in the cupboard for more than 6 months I really would recommend buying new.

I bake regularly enough to get through a tin of fast action dried yeast, every 2-3 weeks. It’s a regular on my grocery order. Don’t worry if all you can by is sachets, that’s fine as we weigh the yeast for this recipe.

Likewise with flour, you need good strong, white, bread flour. I buy mine from Shipton Mill via Amazon UK. It works out a lot cheaper than buying the best organic supermarket brand. That said, I’ve already mentioned that I bake a lot, so buy a good quality, organic if you can afford it, brand from the supermarket. All flour has a use by date, check yours.

The reason I have emphasised using fresh ingredients is, whilst this recipe is relatively easy, it can be heartbreaking to make a yeasted bun, only to find it doesn’t rise. So if you check everything before you start, you are much more likely to have a deliciously, positive outcome. Which is what we all want. Right?

Recipe: Makes 12 Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns

For the buns

500g/1lb 2oz Strong White Bread Flour

140ml/ Scant 5fl oz Whole Milk – warmed slightly to body temperature

120ml/4.5fl oz Water – warmed slightly to body temperature

2 Large Free Range Eggs

1tbsp Cherry Bakewell Icing Sugar – or plain icing sugar

10g/1.5 Sachets Fast Acting Dried Yeast

10g Salt – I use Maldon

50g/2oz Unsalted Butter – softened to room temperature

100g/4oz Dried Cherries

75g/3oz Glacé Cherries – chopped into quarters

1tsp Almond Extract

For the crosses

50g/2oz Strong White Bread Flour

1/2tsp Almond Extract

50ml/2fl oz Water

For the glaze

50g/2oz Cherry Bakewell Icing Sugar – or substitute plain icing sugar plus 1/4tsp almond extract.

Hot water approx 50mls/2fl oz

Method: This method is for use with a bread maker or stand mixer, if you wish to make by hand, I suggest you look to the original, traditional hot cross bun recipe in Paul Hollywood’s book ‘How to Bake’ ISBN 9781 4088 19494.

Making And Proving The Enriched Dough

The ‘bowl’ refers to the bowl of a stand mixer or the mixing compartment of a bread maker.

Add both the milk and water to the bowl.
Next add both eggs, the icing sugar and yeast.
Swish about with clean fingers to mix.
Now add the flour on top of the liquid mixture.
Place the salt and butter on top of the flour.

For a bread maker, set the cycle to dough and press start. When prompted by the machine, or 5 minutes before mixing stops, add the dried cherries, glacé cherries and almond extract. Allow the bread maker to complete the dough cycle.

For a stand mixer attach the dough hook. Start mixing on a low speed. Once the contents of the bowl resemble dough continue to mix on medium/slow speed for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer. Scrape all the dough, from the hook, into the bowl. Add the dried cherries, glacé cherries and almond extract. Lower the dough hook and mix on medium speed for a further 5 minutes.

Once the stand mixer dough has doubled in size, lower the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, this will ‘knock back’ the dough for you.

Shaping the Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns

Grease a large baking tray with butter – see Hot Cross Buns for full step-by-step pictures.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
It will be quite sticky, so ensure you have floured your hands well.
Cut the dough in half and then cut each half into 6 even pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and place on the baking tray – the dough was very sticky so some of my balls weren’t perfect!

W Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns — **Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns** ready for their second prove.

Proving The Buns For The Second Time

Cover the buns with a clean tea towel and place in a warm, draught free place.
Leave until doubled in size.
While the buns are proving, make the flour paste for the crosses.
Add the water and almond extract to the flour and mix until you have a smooth paste. Place in a small, disposable piping bag and secure the top with an elastic band.

10 minutes before the buns are ready for the oven, preheat it to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7, 425F.

Piping Crosses Onto The Buns

Snip the end off of the piping bag, so there is a small hole.
Pipe down each line of buns and then again across each line of buns.

Baking And Glazing The Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns

Place the buns into the middle of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. They are baked when they are golden brown and sound hollow when rapped on the bottom with your knuckle.
Remove the Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns from the oven.
Take the buns off of the baking tray and place onto a cooling rack.
Make the glaze by adding the very hot water to sifted icing sugar and stirring until completely dissolved.
Brush the glaze over the buns whilst they are still hot.
Leave to cool until at least warm, before diving in and taking your first bite!

These Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns may not have the traditional taste of the usual buns, but they are a complete and utterly delightful alternative!

For those people who are averse to raisins, sultanas or cinnamon, here is a bun they can thoroughly enjoy in the run up to Easter. In fact all year round.

Have you ever tried making hot cross buns?

Do you like the idea of the Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns as an alternative?

I hope you have fun whatever you bake this Easter and also take a moment to consider what Easter really means, see Important Stuff.