Easter Spiced Cupcakes

Easter for me is about treats.  Hot cross buns slathered with butter, cake and Easter eggs, and more chocolate than you can shake a stick at.

​When I started thinking about what I wanted to make for my Easter treat this year, gluten-free hot cross buns were up there, but I really wanted to encompass everything I love about Easter into one delicious treat, which is where this recipe came from.

​These cupcakes are beautifully chocolatey with a gorgeous hit of hot cross bun spice.  Topped with vanilla buttercream and some candied peel they really do scream Easter.

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes

• 90g gluten-free self-raising flour
• 30g cornflour
• 125g very soft unsalted butter
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground mixed spice
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 2-4tbsp hot water

For the icing

• 125g very soft unsalted butter
• 200g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To decorate

• 2-4 tbsp cocoa powder
• Handful of mixed peel

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan/gas mark 6
2. Line a 12 cup cupcake tin with cupcake cases
3. Weigh out your dry ingredients into a bowl, lightly mix and set aside
4. Cream together the butter and sugar until light, fluffy and pale.  Periodically scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is fully combined
5. Add the vanilla extract and mix through
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, with a spoonful of your dry ingredients between each making sure everything is fully mixed with each addition
7. Slowly and gradually add the remaining dry ingredients and mix thoroughly
8. The mixture will be quite dry at this stage, so add the hot water a bit at a time to loosen. You want the mixture to be the consistency of wallpaper paste (yum!) - not super thick, but not really runny. 
9. Spoon into your waiting cupcake cases, filling them almost to the top
10. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes until risen and a cake tester comes out clean
11. Remove to a wire rack still in the tray for 10 minutes, before removing the cupcakes (still in their cases) from the tray and leaving on a wire rack to cool completely
12. Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, make your buttercream icing but beating together the butter and icing sugar until very pale, then adding the vanilla extract mixing further to combine
13. Decorate the cupcakes with the buttercream, either by piping it on or smearing on with a pallet knife or spoon - whatever you feel comfortable with
14. Finally, dust on some cocoa powder and sprinkle on some mixed peel to give that final nod to the hot cross bun  

You can watch the video of me making them here.

Give them a go, and let me know how you get on!

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