I love Easter. It’s my favourite time of the year.
I mean, what’s not to like about being encouraged to give chocolate, receive chocolate and pretty much eat your body weight in chocolate eggs?
The classic Red Tulip caramel-centred chocolate eggs are one of my all-time favourites. I just love the caramel explosion when you take a bite. It’s the element of surprise – take a small bite of the Easter Egg and then BAM! caramel goodness all through your mouth/ down your chin.
I decided to take this element of surprise to the classic devil’s food chocolate cupcake.
You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but this baby has hidden secret. A caramel explosion waiting to happen.
How do we get the element of surprise? It’s all about layers.
A layer of devil’s food cake batter, a caramel-centred chocolate Easter Egg, and then top with another layer of cake batter.
My tip for making sure the caramel Easter Egg will stay complete during baking is to pop the Eggs into the freezer for 5 minutes or the fridge for 15 minutes so they are nice and cool.
These devil’s food cupcakes are inspired by Love Swah’s recipe for Devilishly Decadent Devil’s Food Cupcakes.
I have changed the measurements, process and changed some of the ingredients.
- 3½ tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
- ½ tablespoon instant coffee powder
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 15 ml dark rum
- 125ml boiling water
- 75g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup plain flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon bicarb soda
- 9 caramel-centred Easter Eggs (without foil)
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan forced). Put 9 baking cups to a baking tray.
- Put cocoa powder, coffee powder, brown sugar, dark rum in a bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk to combine. Set aside while you prepare the other steps.
- Cream the butter and sugar using electric beaters.
- Add the egg and beat until combined.
- Double-sift the flour, baking powder and bicarb soda.
- Slowly add the flour mixture into the sugar/butter/egg mixture, beat until combined.
- Add the cocoa-coffee mixture and beat until combined, then beat for a further 2 minutes on medium until well-combined and mixture looks smooth.
- Add two to three tablespoons of cake batter to baking cups. Pop one Easter Egg into the cup and then cover with two to three tablespoons of cake batter. The baking cups should be ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until the cake bounces back at your touch, or a skewer poked into the cake comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.
The cupcakes are pretty rich and with the caramel-center surprise you don’t really need an icing. If you prefer an icing, try my chocolate cream cheese icing.
Don’t like caramel Easter Eggs? Try the rocky road, crunchie, mint or any of the other yummy centred flavours that you can find.
These Easter Egg Cupcakes also make a great gift. Pop some pretty shredded paper in a cardboard cupcake box, add a fluffy toy chicken and this decadent cupcake and you have a beautiful present.
How will you be celebrating Easter?
Whatever you get up to – make sure you get your chocolate fix!