What’s Easter without a little surprise? These hidden treat cupcakes are sure to please with their hidden pocket of chocolatey treats topped with delicious white chocolate buttercream. So, if the rice crispy treats didn’t keep the kids entertained these surely will! An easy and family friendly recipe perfect for that long bank holiday weekend! 

After more of a chocolate hit? Just add 50g cocoa powder and a splash of milk and you’ve got yourself chocolate cupcakes! Cause we all know Easter is about eating as much of the stuff as humanly possible! 

Ingredients

Makes 12 Cupcakes 

For the Cupcakes -

200g unsalted butter, softened

200g golden caster sugar

3 medium free range eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

200g self-raising flour

1-2 tbsp milk

¼ tsp salt

For the White chocolate buttercream – 

150g Unsalted butter (Softened)

200g Icing sugar

100g White chocolate (Melted and cooled)

1 tsp Vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

2-3 tbs Milk

Fill and decorate – 

1 large bag of Mini Eggs

1 large bag of Smarties / M&Ms or another small chocolate candy

Milk chocolate – Grated 

Method 

1 – 

Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees C. Line your cupcake tin with paper cases, set aside. Sift together your flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. 

2 – 

In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat 200 g caster sugar with 200 g softened butter until very pale and fluffy, stopping regularly to scrape down any unincorporated butter. This should take about 5 mins. You can also do this in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer if you do not have a stand mixer.

3 – 

To the above mixture, add your eggs and flour bit by bit, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the flour. Once all incorporated, stop and scrape down the bowl and add your milk and vanilla. Mix briefly to combine into a thick smooth batter. Be careful not to over mix. 

4 - 

Using a spoon divide the mixture evenly between your cupcake cases, they should be about ¾ full.

5 - 

Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed and a toothpick, when inserted into the middle, comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Once cool, store in an air tight container if not decorating right away.

For the White Chocolate Buttercream 

1 - 

In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat your softened butter on medium speed using a paddle attachment for 3 to 5 minutes until pale and fluffy

2 – 

Whilst the butter whips, melt your white chocolate either in the microwave in 10 second bursts stirring in between, or in a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water until smooth and fully melted, being careful not to overheat / burn. Once melted set aside to cool to room temp.  

3 – 

Once the butter is pale (go until it is almost white) and fluffy, add half of your icing sugar and mix on low to prevent a cloud of sugar going everywhere. Once mostly mixed in, beat again on high for 1 minute before adding and repeating this with the remaining icing sugar. Once all combined, stop to scrape down the bowl to capture any unmixed butter, add the cooled (but still pourable) white chocolate, salt, vanilla and milk. Add your milk 1 tbs at a time until you have a very smooth buttercream and then beat on high speed for 2 to 3 mins to make a super fluffy and pale buttercream. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to decorate. This can be kept in the fridge covered for up to 1 week or up to 1 month in the freezer. When ready to use again, thaw to room temp and beat briefly, adding a splash of milk to smooth out if needs be. You can then use it as normal.

To assemble / Decorate – 

1 -

Using an apple corer or a small paring knife, cut a well in the middle of each cupcake, large enough to fit a few of your chocolate treats, be sure not to go all the way to the bottom. Be generous with the sweets and fill the holes to the brim this will mean you don’t need to fill the gap with buttercream. Any left-over cake can be used for cake pops, or even crumbled over the top to decorate should you wish.

2 - 

Once all cupcakes are filled with treats, using a piping bag with an open star tip, or a spoon if doing this with the kids, pipe a generous swirl of buttercream covering and hiding the treats. When all the cupcakes are frosted, place your mini eggs in the centre, and then grate your milk chocolate over the top to make it look like a bird’s nest. And you’re done, these cakes can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.