Easter is fast approaching, which is a brilliant reason to get creative with our cupcakes! This week is the first of our Easter themed tutorials, to give you plenty of inspiration and time to plan what cakey treats you’ll be gifting!

What you’ll need…

Brown Sugar Paste (either pre-coloured or coloured with lots of Chestnut Gel)
CMC Powder
Edible Glue & Paintbrush
Yellow Florist Paste (coloured with Egg Yellow Gel Colour)
Bow Cutter (we used the medium size from our set of 3)
Non-Stick Rolling Mat
Foam Decoration Drying Pad
Mini Eggs
Grass & Hair Nozzle
Wilton 1M Nozzle
Piping Bags
Cupcake
Green Buttercream (we used a mixture of Party Green and Holly Green)
Chocolate Buttercream

1. First we need to make the handle and rim of our basket. Add a little CMC powder to your brown sugar paste (not too much as we need it to stay pliable while we’re working with it but set stiff!). Section 3 pieces, each roughly the size of a large Malteser! then roll each one very thinly, into very long sausages.

2. Glue together the sausages at one end and gently plait them, keeping them as tight as possible without stretching or breaking them – gently squeezing the length together after plaiting will get rid of any gaps and keep your plait neat. Glue together the other ends and cut off any excess.

3. Now cut two pieces of your plait, roughly 2 1/2 inches long and shape on the drying foam, one in a curved shape for the basket handle, and the other in a complete circle, with each end glued together to form the basket rim. Make a bow as per our Youtube tutorial (see below), stick to the rim and leave all pieces to dry overnight.

Bow Cutter Tutorial

4. Once your pieces are set, fit the grass nozzle into a piping bag and fill with green sugarpaste. Flat ice your cupcake with extra green buttercream (optional). Then pipe your grass – hold the piping bag vertical, squeeze gently then stop squeezing and pull away – repeat all over cupcake, leaving the centre a little lower or free of grass.

5. Fit the Wilton 1M nozzle into a piping bag and fill with chocolate buttercream. Pipe a circle just in from the edge of the cake, then pipe a second on top of the first to create a bit of height to your basket.

6. Add 3 Mini Eggs to the centre of your basket (we’ve added a few pearls too, just because they’re pretty!). Then take your basket rim and place it on top of the basket, surrounding the Mini Eggs. Now put your handle in place, fitting it just inside the rim, into the buttercream to hold it steady. Done!

We hope you enjoyed this week’s tutorial. If you’re pushed for time you can substitute the plaited handle for strawberry bootlaces with a small ribbon bow. Whichever way you make your Easter Basket Cupcakes we’d love to see a picture posted on our Facebook wall!

And remember, you can buy all of the equipment we use in each tutorial on our online shop, here… http://bluedoorbakery.highwire.com/

Jenny x

This is a great little trick to learn just in case you run out of piping bags… or you just want to show off your amazing cupcake knowledge and skill! Great for royal icing piping and other delicate details.

What you’ll need…

Greaseproof Paper
Scissors
Stapler
Nozzle

1. Take a section of greaseproof paper and fold side to side to form a triangle, then trim off any excess paper, so it creates a square when unfolded (this will make 2 piping bags)

2. Cut the paper in half along the fold, to leave you with two triangles of equal size

3. In your left hand hold one paper up high, at the corner, with the longest side of the triangle running down the length of your forearm

4. Take the other corner of the longest side and take it across to meet the remaining corner, while curling it inwards to form a cone, keeping the point as tight as possible

5. Keeping hold of the joined corners in your right hand, bring your left hand down towards them and around the back, continuing to wrap the paper around itself, then holding all three corners in your right hand

6. Keep the point of your cone tight and hold all three corners together. Here you’re looking to have three ” peaks” at the top back of your cone

7. Fold over the three peaks and staple into place to keep your cone stable.

8. Cut a small hole in the point, big enough to fit your nozzle and fill with icing, ready for wonderful piping

Laura x