Description
Delight in these charming Easter nest coconut & white chocolate cupcakes, featuring soft sponges infused with coconut and white chocolate, topped with creamy white chocolate frosting and decorated with toasted coconut ‘nests’ holding adorable mini chocolate egg chicks. Perfect for festive celebrations or a sweet spring treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Batter
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
- 100ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 100g desiccated coconut
- 200g self-raising flour
- 50g melted butter
- 100g white chocolate, melted
Frosting and Decoration
- 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 225g icing sugar, sifted
- 100g white chocolate, melted
- about 25g shredded coconut
- 36 mini chocolate eggs
- orange or yellow icing (for chick beaks)
- black writing icing tube (for chick eyes)
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Tin: Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4.
- Make the Batter: In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. In a food processor, pulse the golden caster sugar and desiccated coconut until finely ground. Transfer this mixture into a large mixing bowl, then add the self-raising flour and mix to combine. Pour in the whisked egg mixture, melted butter, and melted white chocolate, stirring all together until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Spoon the batter evenly into the paper cases, filling them quite full. Place the tin on the middle oven shelf and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes and cool them on a wire rack. Keep the oven on for the next step.
- Toast the Coconut: Spread the shredded coconut on a baking tray and toast it in the oven for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until lightly golden. Remove and cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter, sifted icing sugar, and melted white chocolate using an electric whisk until just combined and creamy.
- Frost the Cupcakes: Generously spread some of the frosting on the top of each cooled cupcake, not necessarily reaching the edges. Once all cupcakes are frosted, spoon the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a 1-2cm nozzle and pipe a circular ring around the edge of each cupcake to form a ‘nest’. Roll the frosted edge of each cupcake in the toasted coconut to coat it roughly, enhancing the nest effect.
- Create the Easter Chicks: Use the orange or yellow icing to mold small beaks and attach them onto each mini chocolate egg. Then, use a little runny black icing to pipe tiny eyes above the beak, turning each mini egg into a cute baby chick.
- Assemble and Serve: Place one decorated mini egg chick into the coconut nest center of each cupcake. Serve and enjoy these festive treats.
Notes
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely grind the sugar and coconut by pulsing in a blender or by rubbing sugar into coconut using your fingers or a mortar and pestle.
- Make sure butter for frosting is at room temperature to achieve a smooth and creamy texture.
- To make beak shaping easier, pipe a small blob of orange or yellow icing onto parchment paper and let it set slightly before attaching to the eggs.
- Use parchment or silicon muffin cases for easier removal and cleaner presentation.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days; keep refrigerated if the weather is warm.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Easter cupcakes, coconut cupcakes, white chocolate cupcakes, festive treats, Easter nest cupcakes, baked desserts, holiday baking
