Royal cake maker Fiona Cairns turns her hand to deliciously cute cakes, cookies and chocolate eggs...
Easter bunny cakes with carrot and coconut
Cracking Easter treats: Cute bunny cakes with carrot and coconut
Makes 24
For the cupcakes
200g (7oz) self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp freshly ground nutmeg
175ml (6fl oz) sunflower oil
200g (7oz) light muscovado sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
200g (7oz) carrot, peeled and finely grated
60g (2¼oz) walnuts, chopped
50g (1¾oz) desiccated coconut
For the frosting
200g (7oz) full-fat cream cheese
150g (5½oz) icing sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, juice of ½ lime
For the decoration
Food colour paste (green and orange)
100g (3½oz) desiccated coconut
300g (10½oz) white sugarpaste
Small rabbit cutter and a pot of dragees (from supermarkets)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Line 2 cupcake trays with paper cases. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. In another bowl beat the oil and sugar, add the eggs and beat well. Stir in the remaining ingredients and the flour mixture.
Divide between the cases, bake for 18-20 minutes, then cool. Mix the cream cheese and zest, sift in the icing sugar, beat well, add the lime juice, then spread on the cupcakes.
Mix green colour paste with water, toss through the coconut and leave on a tray to dry, then sprinkle on the cakes. To decorate, make carrots and rabbits from the sugarpaste, with dragees for eyes