Easter table setting

Easter table setting, table scape
On Easter Sunday I was so excited at the thought of decorating my dining table ready for my guests.

I laid out my Easter table runner and six side plates, placing my Easter bird houses on top of the plates. I put my Easter bird tree at the end of the table, next to my white ceramic bunny. I tied a ribbon around the handle of my ceramic basket, filled it with Easter M&M's, and placed a ceramic green spot spoon in for easy serving.

My cupcake stand is in the centre, with the four Easter mushrooms around the edge. There are three love bird candles in pink, green and white at one end, as is my glass bunny. At this end of the table, I put a plate of chocolate nests and my ceramic bunny egg holder filled with Easter chocolates.

When one of my guests arrived and just stared at the table, took a deep breath, and said "it looks sooo pretty!", I knew it was all worth it.

I hope you like my Easter table setting. It's been a really fun project. Now, onto the next one...

Easter cupcakes tower

Chocolate mallow cupcakes

Chocolate mallow cupcake
Chocolate mallow cupcakes (makes 12 muffin size cakes)
125g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
180g self raising flour
1 tablespoon Green & Blacks cocoa powder
80ml semi-skimmed milk
12 marshmallows
12 pieces of Green & Blacks dark chocolate

  1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C.
  2. Line muffin tray with paper cases.
  3. Beat flour, butter, eggs and cocoa powder in a bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour.
  4. Place a chunk of chocolate and a marshmallow in each paper case, and then divide the mixture between the paper cases.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
  6. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool.

Decorating the cakes
  1. Fill piping bag with vanilla butter frosting and pipe in swirls on top of the cakes.
  2. Place fondant flowers on top.

Raspberry cupcakes

Raspberry and almond cupcake
Raspberry and almond cupcakes (makes 12 muffin size cakes)
125g butter, softened
2 eggs
150g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
90g dried raspberries
100g ground almonds
150g self raising flour
60ml milk

  1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C.
  2. Line muffin tray with paper cases.
  3. Beat flour, butter, milk and eggs in a bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour.
  4. Stir in ground almonds and dried raspberries
  5. Divide mixture between cases.
  6. Bake for between 25-30 minutes.
  7. Place cakes on wire rack to cool.

Decorating the cakes
  1. Using pre-bought vanilla butter frosting, add a few drops of both blue and yellow food colouring to the butter cream and mix until you achieve the required colour.
  2. Fill piping bag with butter cream and pipe in swirls on top of the cakes.
  3. Place fondant flowers on top.

Toffee apple cupcakes

Toffee apple cupcakes
I had recently seen cupcakes with shards of toffee on, which got me wondering if I could make nests out of toffee. It took me three attempts, but I got there in the end. I wanted the cupcakes' flavour to match the toffee nests so, being a big fan of toffee apples, I decided to make apple and maple syrup cupcakes with a chocolate butter cream top. Here's how I did it.

Maple apple cupcakes (makes 12 muffin size cakes)
150g (1 cup) self raising flour
60g unsalted butter
2 eggs
110g brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
60ml maple syrup
200g grated apple
453g chocolate butter cream

  1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C.
  2. Line muffin tray with paper cases.
  3. Beat flour, butter, sugar, eggs, cinnamon and maple syrup in a bowl with an electric mixer until mixture is a pale colour.
  4. Stir in apple and divide the mixture between the paper cases.
  5. Place in preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and place cakes on wire rack to cool.
  7. When cakes are cool, pipe butter cream icing in a swirl on top. I used chocolate butter cream, but after tasting, my friends and I thought they would taste better with vanilla.


Toffee nests
Toffee nests
I made three batches of toffee because on my first attempt I left the toffee too long in the saucepan and it went black. The second batch worked well but I was not quick enough with it so it started to set in the pan. I tried re-heating it, which was a disaster as it turned white and powdery! So, on the third attempt I worked really quickly with the toffee before it started to set in the pan. I guess the saying is true - the third time really is a charm!

220g caster sugar
125ml water
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar

  1. Coat the back of the muffin tray in olive oil (it has to be olive oil).
  2. Combine sugar, water and vinegar in a heavy based saucepan.
  3. Sir over heat till sugar dissolves and bring the mixture to the boil.
  4. Boil uncovered without stirring until the liquid goes a golden colour. I used a sugar thermometer and took the mixture off the heat when the thermometer read 'crack'.
  5. Wait for bubbles to subside.
  6. Using a wooden spoon, drizzle the toffee onto the back of the muffin tray to create nests.
  7. Allow toffee to set at room temperature, and then carefully lift the nests from the muffin tray and place on top of cakes.
  8. Fill with mini chocolate eggs.

Fondant flowers

Easter fondant flowers cupcake
Easter fondant flowers
Petal daisy cutters
To make fondant flowers you'll need:

Recipe:
  1. Divide the white ready to roll icing into four smaller pieces.
  2. Knead the icing to soften, then gradually add food colouring until you get the desired colour. I used yellow and blue to make green, red and blue to make purple, a little red to make pink, and blue with yellow to make pale mint blue.
  3. Lay out some baking parchment on your work surface.
  4. Sieve icing sugar onto your work area and rolling pin.
  5. Roll the icing out to about 4mm thick and, using a cutter, cut out the petal shapes. For the centre of the flowers cut a circle and then press into a small measuring spoon, like the one pictured, to get a button-like shape.
  6. Wet back of flower centre, place on top of petals, and allow to set.

These will last for at least six months if stored in an airtight container, but for best results use immediately.

Glass bunny

Glass bunny butter dish
I saw this glass bunny butter dish and had to have it! I filled it with the tiniest Cadbury Mini Eggs.


Cadbury's Mini Eggs
On the left is a normal sized Mini Egg, and on the right a tiny one.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)