Surprise Easter Egg Cupcakes with Almond & Lemon
Almond and lemon cakes made with marzipan and containing a secret treasure within. Shhh, don’t let on, there may be Easter eggs about. Perfect for entertaining, everyone will adore these surprise Easter egg cupcakes.
Who doesn’t love a good Easter egg hunt? Well, I’m not actually sure I’ve ever been on one, but I love the idea and I’ve certainly witnessed a few with the excited squeals of children ringing in my ears. So when I was asked to create an Easter recipe for Sainsbury’s, I thought I’d hide a few Easter eggs inside some cupcakes.
Simnel cake is one of the culinary delights of Easter. Never mind the icing on the cake, it’s that squidgy layer of half cooked marzipan sandwiched between the cakes which really does it for me. However, it’s not always the most popular of Easter fare and I wanted to make something that everyone would enjoy.
Surprise Easter Egg Cupcakes
Marzipan was a must and it makes a perfect partner for chocolate. But I felt a more subtle use of it was required on this occasion; I grated it into the cake batter and used it as the main flavouring for my surprise Easter Egg cupcakes along with lemon and a hint of cardamom. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to find the recipe.
For my hidden surprise, I chose solid mini dark and milk chocolate eggs from Sainsbury’s. To cater to varied tastes, I cunningly used different coloured cupcake cases to denote which eggs were contained within. I also chose colours to denote the freshness of spring.
CT likened these surprise Easter Egg cupcakes to Bakewell tarts, but with chocolate rather than jam. For me they were a cake version of chocolate coated marzipan, but not so in your face. The marzipan flavours were there and gave a sticky enticing texture to the cakes, making them rather moreish. The chocolate caramelised slightly at the base creating a delicious crunchy layer.
Great for children and adults alike, these surprise Easter Egg cupcakes are ideal for Easter picnics or an Easter afternoon tea. Shhh, don’t mention the hidden eggs and wait for the squeals of delight. This is an Easter hunt where everyone’s a winner.
Other Recipes for Easter Cupcakes You Might Like
- Amaretto Easter cupcakes with crystallised flowers
- Nettle lemon & white chocolate cupcakes
- Easy Easter nest cupcakes
- Spiced rum Easter cupcakes
For more Easter recipe inspiration, you might want to take a look at my Easter category here on Tin and Thyme. And for even more ideas head to my Easter board on Pinterest.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these surprise Easter egg cupcakes, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more Easter recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Surprise Easter Egg Cupcakes. PIN IT.
Sharing
If you didn’t mind spoiling the surprise, these almond and lemon Easter egg cupcakes would be fun bakes to make with the kids for Easter. As such, I am sending them off to Lou at Eat Your Veg and Vanesther at Bangers & Mash for Family Foodies where the theme this month is Let’s Get Baking.
S is for Surprise Easter Egg Cakes for AlphaBakes this month with Ros of The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline at Caroline Makes.
I haven’t sent anything off to Emily at A Mummy Too for ages, so here these go to #RecipeOfTheWeek.
Surprise Easter Egg Cupcakes – The Recipe
Almond and Lemon Easter Egg CupCakes
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter softened
- 80 g golden caster sugar (I used cardamom sugar)
- 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs (I used duck eggs)
- 125 g flour (I used half wholemeal, half plain)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 125 g marzipan grated
- 12 solid chocolate milk and dark mini eggs
Chocolate Fudge Icing
- 25 g dark chocolate
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp golden syrup
- 60 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp water
- 12 tiny chocolate eggs
Instructions
For the cakes
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.125 g unsalted butter, 80 g golden caster sugar
- Grate in the zest from the lemon and beat a bit more.1 lemon
- Beat in the eggs, one by one.2 large eggs
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold into the mix along with the juice from half the lemon.125 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder
- Stir in the marzipan until just mixed.125 g marzipan
- Place a teaspoon of the mixture in twelve cupcake cases. Sit the chocolate eggs on top, then cover with the rest of the mixture.12 solid chocolate milk and dark mini eggs
- Bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 20 minutes when the cakes should be risen, golden and firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
For the chocolate fudge icing
- Melt the butter, chocolate and syrup in a pan over gently heat and allow to cool slightly.25 g dark chocolate, 50 g unsalted butter, 1 tsp golden syrup
- Stir in the icing sugar and cocoa and beat until smooth and creamy adding the water towards the end.60 g icing sugar, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp water
- Use the icing to create ‘nests’ on top of the cakes and place an egg in the nest.12 tiny chocolate eggs
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
I was sent some vouchers to purchase the ingredients needed. I was not required to write a positive review and as always all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
I love hidden surprise cakes! These cakes are very spring like and perfect for Easter. Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
Thanks Ros, I know the S here was a bit cheeky, but there really is a surprise in the middle 🙂
I am not sure I have ever had a simnel cake but I am a big fan of chocolate and marzipan – these sound great
Thanks Johanna. Is simnel cake not something generally found in Australia then? If you like marzipan, it’s a must try cake.
Sooooo cute! Please can I have one?! 🙂
Janie x
But of course Janie 🙂
I love the marzipan in these, such a clever idea 🙂
Thanks Jen, I rather liked them too 🙂
ahhh, the humble cupcake. The most perfect and adorable little Easter treats. I think the hard sugar coated chocolate eggs are my absolute favourite things ever!
They do hark straight back to childhood and conjure up the joys of Easter treats.
These look delicious, we are huge fans of both almond and lemon. Loving the new site. I think it’s the same one at my A Post Card From France site? fabulous anyway. 🙂
Thanks Anita and so glad you like the new site. I shall have to have a closer look at your French post card now.
Hidden cake surprises are such fun. I love the combination of chocolate, lemon and marzipan here. I am sure the flavours and textures are amazing.
Thanks Kate, they were certainly much appreciated here 😉
These look like something I could make with my niece. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Go for it Dannii, you’ll both have a blast 😉
Fab recipe, I love the inclusion of marzipan. Perfect for easter and the cup cake recipe is perfect for any time. GG
Thanks GG. Sadly, they didn’t last quite as long as I’d have liked …;-)
These are cute – not too much frosting on top which makes them a winner with me. And who doesn’t love a hidden treasure!
Thanks Claire, you are right and there is so much going on with these cakes anyway, you don’t need very much.
How divine do these look? I could eat anything that contained marzipan. x
Thanks Helen, you and me both 🙂
I am loving your new look blog – fabulous! I know plenty of people that would enjoy these cakes particularly with the marzipan addition.
Angela
Thanks Angela, so glad you like it and the cakes too of course 😉
Oh! I love the inclusion of the grated marzipan! Great idea!
Thanks Helen, the marzipan gives a good texture and a nice almond flavour without being overwhelming for the marzipan haters of this world – strange lot!
I love that you put chocolate and almond together in these adorable cupcakes! So cute!
Thanks Sandy chocolate and almond is a classic combination and a much loved one in this household 🙂
Love the bit in the middle – a nice surprise for your mouth!
Haha yes Heidi, that’s the general idea 🙂
Great, fun idea Choclette!
Thanks Stuart 🙂
these look lovely! My kids would love to make (and of course eat) these, so now on my list for the Easter hols
Never mind the kids Lucy, we loved eating these too 😉
food seems to be my fave thing as of late especially when it comes to cake these look fab
Well it is coming up to another foodie time of year Lisa 🙂
These sound amazing! I have to try them out. X
Thank you and do let me know what you think, Happy Easter 🙂
I love the idea and sounds like something I could make with my children too.
Haha Jenny, it looks like you are all set for Easter now 😉
Oh, my girls would love those cupcakes, what a great idea! 🙂
Thanks Margot, I know I’d have loved them as a child and actually I rather like them now 😉