Friday 30 March 2012

Bird Nest Cupcakes



Easter is only a weekend away now and what I like best about Easter is the excuse to make cute, spring-themed sweets. A popular trend which is incredibly easy to do is to make cupcakes that resemble bird nests. The decorations for these cupcakes look adorable but don't require you to make anything which makes it the perfect Easter treat to impress your family. I will warn you ahead of time that this recipe is a little heavy and its certainly not make favourite but as of yet I haven't found the perfect white cupcake recipe.

White Cupcakes (Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
-3 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
-1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-1 cup and 2 tablespoons milk
-1/2 cup and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1 3/4 cups sugar
-5 large egg whites



Directions:
Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, stir vanilla and milk together and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar until pale and fluffy. Reducing the speed of the mixer, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk mixture.

In another medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, careful not to overmix. Fold egg whites into the batter in three batches.

Divide the batter into muffin tins and bake for up to 18-20 minutes at 350.

When the cupcakes are cooled, lightly cover them in your favourite icing. Place the desired number of egg candies in the center and surround the eggs in coconut. I toasted my coconut to brown it which I did on a cookie sheet in the oven but it looks equally as nice with the coconut shavings still white.

(hatching?)