Hot Cross Bun Ring With Spiced Honey Butter

Make these cinnamon-spiced fruit buns into a pretty centrepiece for your Easter table, and serve with a sweet butter

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 1 ring with 11 buns

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  409

• Protein

  10g

• Carbs

  58g

• Fat

  14g

• Saturates

  8g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  18g

• Salt

  0.7g

Ingredients

• 300ml whole milk
• zest 1 orange
• 50g butter, cubed
• 500g strong white flour, plus 140g for the crosses, and extra for dusting
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 1 large egg, beaten, plus 1 egg to glaze
• oil, for greasing
• 100g dried mixed fruit
• For the spiced honey butter
• 200g salted butter, softened
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 4 tbsp clear honey

Directions

1. Warm the milk and orange zest in a small saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat and add the butter, swirling the pan until the butter has melted and the milk has cooled to hand temperature.
2. Mix the flour, cinnamon, sugar, yeast and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Pour in the milk mixture and the beaten egg, and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture clumps together. Tip out onto your work surface and knead until smooth and elastic-the dough should bounce back when pressed with your finger. Transfer to a clean oiled bowl, cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave to rise for 2 hrs or until doubled in size.
3. Dust your largest baking tray with flour. Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead again to knock out any air bubbles. Add the dried fruit and knead to incorporate into the dough. Divide the dough into 11 equal pieces. Roll each lump of dough into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls on your tray in a ring, leaving a small gap between each one. Cover loosely with a piece of cling film and leave somewhere warm to prove again for a further 1 hr or until doubled in size, the buns should be just touching.
4. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the buns with a little beaten egg. Mix the remaining flour with enough water to make a thick paste, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle, or use a sandwich bag and snip off one corner. Use the paste to pipe crosses over the buns-this is easiest if you pipe in one big circle, then put a line across the middle of each bun. Bake for 25 mins until golden and cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, make the spiced honey butter. Put the butter, spices and honey in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. When the buns are cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 mins on the baking tray. Serve the bun ring warm with the butter in the centre for spreading. The buns will keep for up to 3 days in a tin or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Bunny Carrot Cake

A sticky and delicious sponge with decorative candied carrot topping - enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee or tea

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 10 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 10-12 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  359

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  50g

• Fat

  16g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  32g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• 200g light soft brown sugar, plus 3 tbsp
• 150ml light rapeseed oil (we used Cooks & Co with natural butter flavour), plus extra for greasing
• 100g natural yogurt, plus extra to serve (optional)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• zest 3 oranges, juice of 2 (save juice of last orange for the carrots, below)
• 300g self-raising flour
• 1 tbsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 250g coarsely grated carrots
• crème fraîche, to serve (optional)
• For the caramelised carrots
• 225-250g small or baby carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
• juice 1 orange (from cake ingredients)
• 25g butter
• 4 tbsp light soft brown sugar

Directions

1. First, make the caramelised carrots. Put the carrots in a saucepan so they can sit in just about a single layer. Add the orange juice, butter, sugar and enough water to cover the tops of the carrots by just 1cm. Bring to the boil, then cook until the water has almost evaporated and the carrots are left in a sticky syrup-you may want to reduce the heat if the liquid looks more syrupy, and go a little slower at the end so the carrots don't catch. Can be made up to 1 day ahead.
2. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 23cm cake tin. Lift the candied carrots from the pan and syrup, and arrange in the base of the tin, cut-side down. Keep the pan and syrup for later.
3. Whisk together the 200g brown sugar, the oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and zest from 2 oranges. Mix the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and grated carrot in a big mixing bowl. Stir in the whisked mixture until smooth, then spoon over the carrots in the tin-be careful not to dislodge their arrangement too much. Bake for 45-50 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 mins.
4. Meanwhile, add the orange juice to the syrup pan with the 3 tbsp brown sugar. Simmer together until slightly reduced, then stir in the remaining zest.
5. Turn the cake out onto a plate and spoon over the syrup. Eat just warm or at room temperature with more yogurt or crème fraîche.

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Red Velvet Choc-Cherry Cupcakes

Very cherry chocolate sponges dotted with fruit and topped with creamy frosting - perfect for a cake sale

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  331

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  39g

• Fat

  18g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  26g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• 100g butter, softened
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 225g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150ml buttermilk
• 28ml bottle red food colouring (natural food colouring won't look as bright as an artificial one)
• 100g glacé cherries, roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate
• For the icing
• 150ml double cream
• 140g cherry conserve or jam, sieved
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• red icing or edible red glitter, to decorate (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, whisking until fully incorporated. Sift in the flour, cocoa, bicarb and a pinch of salt. Fold in with a spatula until there are no lumps of flour remaining. Then add the buttermilk, food colouring and cherries, and stir briefly to combine. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 20 mins until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
2. Warm the cream and cherry conserve in a small pan, add the chocolate and remove from the heat. Leave for a few mins, then stir until melted and combined. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool completely-the icing will set to a spreadable consistency within about 30 mins. Once cooled and thickened, spread the icing on the cupcakes, decorate with a drizzle of red icing or some red glitter and top with half a glacé cherry. These cakes will keep for a few days in a cake tin.

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Ice Cream Cone Cakes

Wafer cones make an unlikely but perfect case for light custard and vanilla sponge- decorate with buttercream and your favourite ice cream toppings

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  756

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  77g

• Fat

  47g

• Saturates

  29g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  56g

• Salt

  1g

Ingredients

• 12 flat-bottomed ice cream cones
• 200g softened butter
• 200g plain flour
• 4 tbsp custard powder
• 1 tsp vanilla paste with seeds
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• To decorate
• 350g butter, softened
• 350g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• sprinkles, wafers, chocolate, glacé cherries, sauces- whatever you like on ice cream!

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sit the cones in a muffin tin to hold them upright.
2. Put the butter, flour, custard powder, vanilla, sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric whisk until smooth. If you have nimblefingered little helpers, hand round pairs of teaspoons and set them to work filling the cones. If you're making them yourself, spoon the cake batter into a food bag or disposable piping bag, snip off the end to give you a wide hole, then pipe into the cones, filling them ¾ full-this will enable you to get the batter right to the bottom.
3. Bake the cone cakes, still in the muffin tin, for 30 mins until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool.
4. To decorate the cakes, beat the butter until smooth, then add the icing sugar and vanilla, and beat again until well mixed. Put into a piping bag fitted with a big star nozzle, then pipe icing on top of each cake as you would a cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, cherries, drizzles of sauce-whatever you like.

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Hot Cross Bun Cupcakes

These cakes have all the fruit and spice of the traditional bun but are quicker to make.Finish with spiced cream cheese frosting crosses

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  360

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  36g

• Fat

  22g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  26g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 100ml whole milk
• 175g unsalted butter
• 175g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 175g light soft brown sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g ground almonds
• 3 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature
• zest ¾ orange
• 100g raisins, sultanas or a mix of both
• 1 medium eating apple, peeled then grated
• 1 tbsp apricot jam, warmed with a splash of water
• For the spiced buttercream
• zest ¼ orange
• 50g full-fat cream cheese
• 50g icing sugar
• 25g butter, softened
• ¼ tsp mixed spice

Directions

1. Combine the lemon juice and milk in a large jug, and set aside for 5 mins. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and melt the butter in a saucepan. Use a little of the butter to grease a 12-hole muffin tin.
2. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, spice, almonds and a pinch of salt into a large bowl, then sift through it with your fingers to squash any lumps of sugar. Beat the eggs, zest and melted butter into the thickened milk. Pour this into the dry ingredients, then beat with a balloon whisk until even. Stir in the dried fruit and apple, scoop mix into the tin (the holes will be full; see tip below), then bake for 18-20 mins until golden and well risen. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then remove to a rack.
3. When the buns are cold, cut a cross from the top of each one using a serrated knife, then brush the tops with the apricot jam. For the spiced buttercream, beat everything together until creamy and pale. Pipe the buttercream into the crosses. Alternatively, simply glaze the buns and pipe crosses across the tops.

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Easter Nest Coconut & White Chocolate Cupcakes

Try saying no to these little sponges with frosting and clever bird decoration made with chocolate eggs

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  499

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  56g

• Fat

  29g

• Saturates

  19g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  44g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 100ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 200g self-raising flour
• 50g melted butter
• 100g white chocolate, melted
• For the frosting
• 100g white chocolate, melted
• 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 225g icing sugar, sifted
• To decorate
• about 25g shredded coconut
• 36 mini eggs
• orange or yellow icing for beaks
• black writing icing tube

Directions

1. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases and heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Whizz the sugar with the coconut in a food processor until very finely ground. Tip into a big mixing bowl with the flour and mix. Add the whisked egg mixture, melted butter and chocolate, then stir together until smooth.
2. Spoon into the cases (they will be quite full) and bake for 18-20 mins on a middle shelf until golden and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack (keep the oven on).
3. Spread the shredded coconut on a baking tray and put in the oven for about 10 mins to lightly toast-stir halfway through. Cool. To make the frosting, put the chocolate, butter and icing sugar in a big bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until just combined.
4. Spread some of the frosting generously over the top of the cooled cakes-you don't have to go right to the edges. Once you've done all 12, scrape the rest of the icing into a piping bag fitted with a 1-2cm nozzle, and pipe a ring around the top edge to make a nest. Roll in the cooled coconut to roughly coat.
5. Turn each mini egg into a baby chick by moulding little beaks from the orange or yellow icing and sticking on with a little runny black icing when you add the eyes. Stick baby chicks into the middle of each cake and enjoy.

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Cherry & Almond Easter Cupcakes

These little Simnel cakes are really almondy, with pieces of marzipan in the mix - and they look gorgeous

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 24 cupcakes

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  -

• Protein

  -

• Carbs

  -

• Fat

  -

• Saturates

  -

• Fibre

  -

• Sugar

  -

• Salt

  -

Ingredients

• 250g pack butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 250g self-raising flour, plus an extra 2 tbsp
• 1 tsp baking powder
• zest 1 orange, plus 2 tbsp of the juice
• 250g natural marzipan, coarsely grated (easiest if chilled beforehand)
• ½ tsp almond essence, optional
• 200g glacé cherries, halved
• For the decoration
• about 100g/4oz icing sugar, sifted
• mini chocolate eggs, to decorate

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and place 24 cupcake cases into cupcake tins. Beat the butter and sugar together with electric beaters or a tabletop mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 250g flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice and beat well till thick, creamy and evenly mixed.
2. Toss cherries in the extra 2 tbsp flour and fold into the batter along with grated marzipan and almond essence (if using). Spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 mins, or until well risen and golden. Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
3. Mix the icing sugar with around 1 tbsp water to make a loose but not-too-runny icing. Ice the tops of the cupcakes and top each one with about 3 mini chocolate eggs.

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Strawberry & Polenta Cupcakes

These cupcakes are little portions of perfection and are great to share with friends

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12 cakes

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  271

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  40g

• Fat

  12g

• Saturates

  7g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  26g

• Salt

  0.19g

Ingredients

• 140g unsalted butter, softened
• 140g golden caster sugar
• grated zest ½ lemon
• 85g polenta
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 140g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp milk
• 140g strawberries, hulled and chopped into chunks
• To decorate
• 140g icing sugar
• 3 strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped, plus 6 halved, for decoration
• lemon juice

Directions

1. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases and heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Add the polenta and continue to whisk until combined. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time.
2. Sift in flour and baking powder, then fold in quickly with a large spoon or spatula until you have a thick batter (the mixture may look lumpy because of the polenta). Stir in the milk to loosen, then gently fold in the chopped strawberries. Divide the mixture between the paper cases, then bake for 20 mins or until golden, risen and springy to touch. Cool for a few mins, then place the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes can now be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.
3. Carefully peel the cases off the cakes. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Place the chopped strawberries in a bowl with 1 tsp lemon juice and mash with a fork until pulpy. Push through a sieve over the icing sugar (you only need a few drops of juice to colour the icing a rosy pink). Stir in more lemon juice, a dribble at a time, until you have a thick yet fluid paste. Dip the top of each cake into the icing, then top immediately with a strawberry half. Leave to set, then serve.

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Coffee Cream & Walnut Cupcakes

Retro favourite coffee and walnut cake in a cupcake version, with a choice of luxurious mascarpone topping or classic buttercream

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 12 cakes

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  247

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  18g

• Fat

  18g

• Saturates

  10g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  12g

• Salt

  0.29g

Ingredients

• 100g butter, well softened
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp instant coffee, mixed with 100ml/3½fl oz boiling water, then cooled
• 25g walnut halves, chopped, plus 12 more for the tops
• For the topping
• 200ml tub mascarpone (you'll find this with the soft cheeses)
• 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and make sure there's a shelf ready in the middle. Line a 12-hole bun tin with fairy cake cases. Beat the butter, sugar, flour and eggs with 4 tsp of the coffee and a pinch of salt until creamy. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
2. Spoon the mix into the cases (start by adding 1 heaped tsp to each, then go back and top them up-that way they should all be of equal size), then bake for 18-20 mins until light golden and springy. Cool for a few mins in the tin, then lift the cakes out and cool completely on a rack.
3. Put the mascarpone, 3 tsp more of the coffee and the sugar into a large bowl, then beat together. Spread a dollop of the coffee cream onto the top of each cake, then finish with a walnut half. The cakes are best if they're iced fairly near the time of eating, so if you're making ahead, whip up the mascarpone mix, keep in the fridge, beat it again, then spoon onto the cakes just before serving. Un-iced cakes will keep up to 2 days in an airtight container.

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Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

These light cakes are perfect for freezing - they just need a quick blast in the microwave to bring them back to life

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins - 20 mins
  Cook 20 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  534

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  62g

• Fat

  31g

• Saturates

  11g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  46g

• Salt

  0.3g

Ingredients

• 300g dark chocolate, broken into chunks - don't use one with a high cocoa content
• 200g self-raising flour
• 200g light muscovado sugar, plus 3 tbsp extra
• 6 tbsp cocoa
• 150ml sunflower oil, plus a little extra for greasing
• 284ml pot soured cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 10-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Whizz the chocolate into small pieces in a food processor. In the largest mixing bowl you have, tip in the flour, sugar, cocoa, oil, 100ml soured cream, eggs, vanilla and 100ml water. Whisk everything together with electric beaters until smooth, then quickly stir in 100g of the whizzed-up chocolate bits. Divide between the 10 cases, then bake for 20 mins until a skewer inserted comes out clean (make sure you don't poke it into a chocolate chip bit). Cool on a wire rack.
2. To make the icing, put the remaining chocolate bits, soured cream and 3 tbsp sugar in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth icing. Chill in the fridge until firm enough to swirl on top of the muffins, then tuck in.

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