Easter Cupcakes

To make these delicious Easter Cupcakes I used my Flop-Proof Madeira Cake Recipe and decorated them with Glace icing and Speckled Eggs! The kids had a great time making them and I know they'll enjoy devouring them even more!

Easter Cup Cakes

Ingredients:
18 Cup cakes, ready made (from the Madeira cake recipe)
Icing sugar
Boiling water
Food colouring of your choice
1 Packet Speckled Easter Eggs

Method:
1. Pour about a cup of icing sugar in a medium sized bowl. Very slowly add some boiling water. Stir. Keep adding a little bit more water until you've reached a spreadable consistency. Not too runny, else it just runs off your cup cakes! If you have added too much water, add a spoon of icing sugar to dry it up a bit.
2. Add a drop of food colouring and stir well.
3. Spread the icing on as many cupcakes as it will do.
4. Pop some speckled eggs into the icing before it hardens.
5. Using a different bowl repeat the process, adding a different colour.
6. Repeat until all the cupcakes are done!
7. HAPPY EASTER!!!

Easy Scones

These scones are absolutely to-die-for! and what's even better is that they are so quick and easy to make. I usually get attacked by a craving for these hot fresh delights at about 8 o'clock on a Sunday evening after church. They are simply divine with a dot of butter and loads of jam! (and if you really want to spoil yourself, some whipped cream!)This recipe comes from a special friend, Johlise Joubert.

Easy Scones

Ingredients:
2C Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Salt
5 tsp Sugar
100ml Margarine
1/2C Milk
1 Large egg

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 200*. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper cups. (I find that Silicon cups work marvelously!)
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
3. Add softened margarine and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
4. In a jug, mix milk and egg together, and add to the flour mixture.
5. Divide the batter into 12 portions and put each lump into a muffin pan.
6. Bake at 200* for 12-15 minutes. (until golden brown on top!)

Variation: Omit the sugar to make savory scones.
Serve these with fried bacon bits, scrambled egg, grated cheese and gravy! (or sweet chilli sauce) The picture says it all. Yum!


Makes: 12 Scones

Flop-proof Madeira Cake

Now, this recipe is such a winner for many reasons; firstly, it's so easy, you just add all the ingredients and mix them together on high speed, and Voila! Secondly, it's flop-proof and bakes beautifully every time. It's also a great hit with kids because of the above mentioned reasons! And lastly is also a great recipe for cupcakes.

Flop-Proof Madeira Cake

Ingredients:
125g Butter or Margarine
200g/400ml Cake flour
200ml Sugar
10ml tsp Baking powder
2 Eggs
125ml Milk
7ml Vanilla essence
1ml Salt
Icing sugar for dusting
Optional Variation: 125ml Coconut and Almond essence

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 170* and grease a loaf tin or a ring form, or line your muffin tray with paper cups.
2. Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat on high for 5 minutes.
3. Spoon the batter into the tin (if making a loaf, hollow the center as it rises a lot).
4. Bake for 40 minutes (or 20 minutes if making cup cakes)
5. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before removing it from the tin.
6. Dust with icing sugar, and Voila!

Makes: 1 Cake or 18 Cup cakes