Jelly Bean Easter Nest Cupcakes : Guest Post...

Pretty vanilla cupcakes each topped with buttercream and a chocolate nest of Jelly Belly "eggs". You can use any Jelly Belly beans for decoration but the Ice Cream Parlour mix is especially pretty with egg like speckles!

Makes 12

For the cakes-

• 125g softened butter or baking margarine
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 eggs - beaten
• 125g self-raising flour - or plain flour with a tsp of baking powder added
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• pinch salt
• 1 - 2 tbs milk

For the buttercream-

This quantity will be enough to pipe the frosting onto the cakes - if you are going to spread the frosting you can reduce the amounts by a third.

• 100g softened butter
• 200g icing sugar
• Green food colouring
• 1 - 2 tbs milk

For the Chocolate Nests-

• 40g butter
• 1 ½ tbs golden syrup
• 1 ½ tbs cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tbsp white granulated sugar
• 50g shredded wheat - crushed

Method

For the cakes-

1. Cream the butter and sugar together with a handheld mixer or in your stand mixer. 
2.  Add the eggs together with a tablespoon of the flour and beat well.
3. Sieve the flour, baking powder, vanilla essence and salt and fold into the batter. 
4. If the batter is very stiff add the milk to loosen the mixture.
5. Line a bun tin with fairy cake cases. 
6. Fill each case 2/3 full with batter and bake at 190C / GM 5 for about 12 - 14 minutes.
7. The buns are done when risen and springy. 
8.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes then removed from the tin.

For the buttercream-

1. The secret to fluffy buttercream is to beat the butter really well before you add any sugar. 
2. Place the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until soft and fluffy. 
3. Slowly add the icing sugar beating as you go. 
4. Add the milk to loosen the mixture. 
5. Add the food colouring a few drops at a time until the frosting is the colour you require. 
6. You can also make your buttercream in a food processor, again beat the butter well before adding the icing sugar, milk and colouring.

For the chocolate nests-

1. Place the butter, syrup, cocoa powder and sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring all the time, until melted. 
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the crushed shredded wheat.
3. Dollop teaspoons of the mixture onto a piece of greaseproof paper or silicon baking mat and shape into nests by flattening and hollowing out the centre. 
4. Allow to cool and set.

Decoration-

• Pipe or spread the buttercream onto each cake, top each with a chocolate nest filled with a few Jelly Belly jelly bean "eggs".

About this guest post-

Recipe, styling & photography by Helen Best-Shaw (fussfreeflavours.com) for Jelly Belly UK