Cookies & Cream Easter Egg Cupcakes
#GetChoSprinkleOn
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
430g (15 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
265 g (91/2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
125 g (41/2 oz/1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
375 ml (121/2 fl oz/11/2 cups) full-cream (whole) milk
125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt (or sour cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 cup Oreos, crushed
Frosting
1 batch Swiss meringue buttercream frosting
1 cup Oreos, crushed
1 cup chocolate sauce
Ganache
200g dark chocolate
100ml thickened/whipping cream
1 cup Oreos, chopped
Easter Eggs
400g white chocolate, melted
1 cup Oreos, crushed
METHOD
Makes 30 Macaron cookies
Level: Medium
Ganache
Add the chocolate and cream to a microwave safe mixing bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Easter Eggs
To make the Easter eggs add the crushed Oreos to the melted white chocolate and mix until well combined.
Pour the chocolate into Easter egg molds. The molds I used were kinder surprise egg packets. And yes, before anyone asks, they’re food safe. The alternative is to use an Easter egg mold which you can purchase online.
Turn the mold upside down and allow all of the excess chocolate to drip out. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Pour the slightly cooled down ganache into the egg shells and then sprinkle some chopped Oreos on top. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before gently taking the eggs out of the mold.
Cupcakes
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 140°C (275°F) or a conventional oven to 160°C (320°F). Line two cupcake tins with the cupcake liners.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until well combined.
Next, add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the mixture reaches a crumbly, sand-like texture.
Add the eggs, milk, oil, yoghurt and vanilla, and mix on low speed until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl, add the crushed Oreos and fold using a spatula until well combined.
Fill each liner three-quarters of the way. Using an ice-cream scoop to transfer the batter to the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process, and ensures each liner contains exactly the same amount of batter and that the cupcakes will bake evenly. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
To prepare the frosting add the crushed Oreos to the frosting and mix until well combined.
Core the center of each cupcake and fill with chocolate sauce.
Fit the end of a piping bag with a Witlon 6B piping tip and frost a double donut swirl.
Drizzle the frosting with chocolate sauce before adding the exposed Easter egg half in the frosting.
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HELPFUL TIPS!
STORAGE: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (refrigerated and thawed 40 min before serving). Although I’d recommend baking and serving on the same day.
EQUIPMENT: Can be made using a hand mixer (always mix on lowest speed) or a hand whisk. Take care not to over mix the batter.
OVEN TEMPERATURE: Each oven is different. Some are old, some are new. Some ovens can be hotter on the inside than the temp you set your oven at. If you find your cupcakes, cakes or macarons are browning or cracking, turn the oven temp down 10C. A handy trick is to get an oven thermometer which sits inside the oven and will give you an accurate temperature reading. They’re inexpensive and can be purchased online or at your local kitchen supply store. And always bake in the centre rack of the oven for best results!
BAKING TIME: These cupcakes will typically bake on a lower temp and for a little longer than regular cupcake recipes. I find a low temperate and a slow bake results in flatter tops and no caramelisation so that if the cupcakes are coloured they don’t change colour and brown. After 40 minutes, stick a skewer into the centre of one of the cupcakes, if it comes out with wet batter, bake for another 10 minutes until the skewer comes out with crumbs or completely clean.
TOOLS:
Large mixing bowls
Spatula
Magic Whisk for wet ingredients
Kitchen Scales
Stand mixer (or hand mixer)
Wire rack
Frosting bag
Tablespoon
Measuring spoons
Cupcake baking tin
Paper liners
Ice cream scoop (optional)
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MAKES 12 // BABY CAKES
215g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
132g sugar
187ml milk
65ml oil
60g butter
1tbsp yogurt
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
VANILLA X3
644g flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
397g sugar
562ml milk
190ml oil
185g butter
3tbsp yogurt
3 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
CAKE
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180C (356). You’ll need three, 6 inch cake tins. Spray them with cooking oil and line the bottom with baking paper. To do this you’ll need to trace the bottom of the tin onto some baking paper, fold it over three times and cut out the circles just a little smaller than the circle. Set aside