These Chocolate Cupcakes Add A Sweet Kick to Your Festive Table

Colouring eggs, adventurous egg hunts and other fun activities all add to that special vibe we love around the Easter holidays. However, one of the best highlights must be gathering the family around the table for a delicious meal, including the much-anticipated sweet ending!

Cupcakes are a great option during this time because it's easy to get creative and make a variety of flavours. Plus, of course, there are the countless designs that can really capture a vibrant spring mood. We can’t think of a better way to add a festive touch to the table alongside a beautiful floral centerpiece. What’s more, it can be another entertaining endeavour to keep the kids busy and help the excitement go beyond just eating.

The whole family will love this delicous recipe of fudgy, coconut-topped cupcakes by Marks & Spencer. And using the brand’s pastel-hued Chicky Choccy Speckled Eggs to decorate is a surfire cute and colourful kid-approved way to decorate.

Serves 12
INGREDIENTS

• 120g plain white flour
• 200g white granulated sugar
• 40g cocoa powder
• 20g malted milk powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g natural yoghurt
• 60g vegetable oil
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125ml boiling water

For the icing

• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• 75g unsalted butter
• 100g malted milk powder
• 50g icing sugar
• 75ml whole milk
• 30g desiccated coconut
• 12 M&S Chicky Choccy Speckled Eggs

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 4 and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners. Combine the plain flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then add the yoghurt, oil, egg and vanilla and stir. Whisk in the boiling water.
2. Divide between the muffin liners and bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To make the icing, melt the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
4. Sift the malted milk powder, icing sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl then whisk in the milk. Pour the chocolate into the malted milk mixture, stir and allow to cool before whisking with an electric whisk.
5. Spread the chocolate icing onto each cupcake, then press with desiccated coconut and finish with M&S Chicky Choccy Speckled Eggs.