Marzipan Easter egg cupcakes

I had been promising Sylvia that we would make cupcakes all day.  Stuff kept getting in the way.  Boring stuff like showers and lunch and ukelele practice.  Finally we were ready.  But the hot cross bun dough was demanding to be rolled into balls.  Then we made the cupcakes.  They were worth the wait.
  

You may be familiar with Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog.  If you are, you might also be aware that she has made some big changes to her blog lately.  It is renamed Tin and Thyme.  She always impressed me by having a broad range of recipes while still keeping chocolate in the posts.  Now she will also be posting vegetarian recipes.  I can't wait to see what creative dishes she will share.

These cupcakes come from Choclette.  They have an Easter egg hidden inside them.  Which is brilliant.  However I think my favourite part of the recipe is the addition of grated marzipan in the batter.  It tasted amazing.  Though it did clump together when we grated it.  I made some slight changes to Choclette's recipe by using mixed spice instead of lemon.  I also halved the recipe because I used most of the marzipan in my hot cross buns.

Sylvia loved helping to hide the Easter eggs.  I was really pleased to finally finish some buttercream that I made for Sylvia's birthday cake some weeks ago.  I wished that I had made the cupcakes earlier in the day though.  We didn't have them cool enough to ice until after dinner when I was rushing about to find the light and time to photograph them.

In fact we were watching Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave as we ate tea.  After a busy Good Friday we were ready to relax.  We didn't tell E about the hidden eggs.  Sylvia and I nudged each other and giggled as he bit in.  He was pleasantly surprised.

These cupcakes are too delicious to keep them to Easter.  They really need to be eaten all year round.  I could imagine these would be great with choc chips throughout them rather than the chocolate egg in the middle.  And thanks again to Choclette for the reminder that I really should bake with marzipan more often.

I am sending these cupcakes to Karen (co-host with Janie) for Tea Time Treats.  This month the theme is chocolate.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: True North: Coburg cafe
Two year ago: Topsy Turvy Dinner: savoury chocolate muffins and cauliflower rice
Three years ago: WHB Purple carrot soda bread, wildlife and sandcastles
Four years ago: Cheesey bikkies: what not to do
Five years ago: PPN Mee Goreng
Six years ago: Carrot Miso Soup
Seven years ago: Orkney Ginger Broonie

Marzipan Easter egg cupcakes
Adapted from Tin and Thyme
Makes 6 cupcakes

60g unsalted butter
40g brown sugar
1 egg
65g plain flour (half wholemeal, half white)
1/2 scant tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp mixed spice
1 tbsp yoghurt
60g marzipan, grated
6 mini Easter eggs

To decorate:
chocolate buttercream icing
6 mini Easter eggs

Put out 6 cupcake papers and preheat oven to 180 C.

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg.  Gentle stir in flour, baking powder and milk.  Fold in marzipan.

Drop about 1 heaped teaspoon of mixture into each cupcake paper.  Place an Easter egg (no paper of course) in the middle of each.  Cover the Easter eggs with the rest of the batter.

Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  (I didn't do the skewer test.)

When cupcakes are cooled ice with buttercream and top with mini Easter eggs.

On the Stereo:
The Best of REM: 1988-2003