Look, let’s be frank. It’s the day before Easter Sunday. The chances of me actually making any of these are slim (read non-existent.) I am mostly planning to pour myself a nice glass of wine just as soon as the toddler has gone to bed.

BUT.

These Dr. Oetker recipes look super lovely. And I’d love to be someone who just whips up a treat like this. So if you are, and you happen to need some sweet last minute Easter inspiration, here you go!

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Prep 1hr 30 mins

Cook time 35 mins

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 12 Dr. Oetker Cupcake Cases
• 125g (4 ½ oz) baking margarine, softened
• 125g (4 ½ oz) caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150g (5oz) plain flour
• 1 sachet/ 25g (1oz) Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
• 2 sachets/ 10g (2 tsp) Dr. Oetker Baking Powder (gluten free)
• 30ml (2 tbsp) whole milk

To decorate:

• 200g (7oz) Dr. Oetker Milk Fine Cook’s Chocolate
• 50g (2oz) Dr. Oetker White Fine Cook’s Chocolate
• 125g (4 ½ oz) Dr. Oetker Liquid Glucose
• Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Pink Food Colour Gel
• 200g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 sachets/50g (2oz) Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
• 350g (12oz) icing sugar
• 30ml (2 tbsp) whole milk
• Dr. Oetker Dark Chocolate Chips
• Dr. Oetker Fairy Princess Sprinkles

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan assisted oven, 350˚F, gas mark 4). Put the Cupcake Cases in 12 muffin tins. Put the margarine in a mixing bowl, add the caster sugar and eggs. Sift the flour, Cocoa and Baking Powder on top, add the milk, and, using an electric whisk on a low speed, mix the ingredients together. Increase the speed and whisk for a few more seconds until smooth and well blended.
2. Divide the mixture equally between the cases and smooth over the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes until risen and just firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To decorate, first make the moulding paste for the ears. Break up the Milk Chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, and leave to melt. Remove from the water, mix well and stir in 100g (3 ½oz) Liquid Glucose to form a thick paste. Scrape on to a piece of clear plastic and press gently to a thickness of about 1/2cm (1/4 inch) and leave to cool – the mixture will become firm and pliable when cold. Avoid prolonged chilling as the paste will become very hard.
4. Repeat the melting process with the White Chocolate and mix in 25g (1oz) Liquid Glucose and 1 small drop Pink Food Colour Gel. Transfer to clear plastic, press out as above and leave to cool.
5. Once the chocolate pastes are firm, cover each with another sheet of clear plastic and roll gently until smooth and the thickness of a £1 coin. Using either 8cm and 6cm (3 x 2 ¼ inch) tall leaf cutters or cardboard templates and a knife, cut out 24 bunny ears from the Milk Chocolate paste, and 24 inner ears from the Pink paste – you may need to soften and re-roll the trimmings (see Tip).
6. Mould each ear piece gently to soften the paste a little and then bend into different shapes. The pink coloured White Chocolate inner ears should stick on to the Milk Chocolate pieces once the paste has warmed a little by manipulating it. Pinch the ears at the base and leave in a cool place to firm up while preparing the icing. If the room temperature is very warm, put the ears in the fridge.
7. For the icing, put the butter in a bowl and beat until smooth and glossy. Gradually sift and beat in the Cocoa Powder and icing sugar, then stir in the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and soft enough to pipe. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star nozzle and pipe a generous swirl on top of each cupcake.
8. To serve, push a pair of ears into the top of each cupcake. Decorate with Chocolate Chips and Pink Pearls from the Fairy Princess sprinkles to make the faces. Your Easter bunny cupcakes are now ready to serve and enjoy!

TIP: If the moulding paste becomes too hard to work with or you need to gather up and re-roll the trimmings, you can pop the paste in the microwave for 5-10 second bursts to soften it up again and re-roll on the plastic as above.

Easter Cake Pops

Prep 35mins

Cook time 20 mins

Serves 24

Ingredients:

For the Cake Pops:

• 110 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 110 g caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Natural Extract
• 90g self-raising flour
• 20 g Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
• 1 tbsp whole milk (Optional)
• 150g Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate Chips
• 24 cake pop sticks or large straws

To decorate:

• 300 g Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks White Chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 3 Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Colour Gels (Yellow, Blue and Pink)
• Dr. Oetker Fairy Princess Sprinkles
• Dr. Oetker Writing Icing

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180 C / 160C Fan / Gas 4 and grease and line a 9 x 9” cake tin with parchment paper.
2. Using an electric hand-whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder, then whisk until just combined. If you would like a lighter texture, then add the milk at this stage. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cake has risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
4. Once cooled, crumble the cake into a bowl. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and place in the microwave, heating for 30 second bursts until melted. Add the melted chocolate chips to the crumbled cake, mixing well.
5. Take a tablespoon of the cake mix and roll into an egg shape with your hands. Place on a tray or board and repeat until all the mixture has been used up. Transfer to the fridge for 20 minutes to firm them up.

To decorate:

1. Put the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Place in the microwave and heat for 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
2. Transfer between 3 bowls, adding a few drops of the Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Colour Gels to each bowl and mix thoroughly.

Easter Meringue Nests

Prep 25 mins

Cook time 60 mins

Serves 8

Ingredients:
For the Meringues:

• 4 Dr. Oetker Free Range Egg White Powder Sachets (or 4 medium egg whites)
• 200 g caster sugar
• Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Pink Food Colour Gel
• Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Yellow Food Colour Gel
• Dr. Oetker Extra Strong Blue Food Colour Gel

To Decorate:

• 1 can of whipped cream
• 100g chocolate eggs

Method:

1. Heat oven to 140 C / 120 C Fan / Gas 1.

2. Make up the Egg White Powder as directed on pack and transfer to a large grease-free bowl.

3. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand-whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously until you have a shiny, stiff mixture.

4. Spoon the meringue into three separate bowls and add 4-5 drops of one Dr. Oetker gel food colouring to each bowl. Stir the meringue through a few times to create a marbling effect with the food colouring – be careful not to over-stir.

5. Place a piping bag with a star nozzle fitting in a jug and fold down the edges. Carefully fill the piping bag 2/3’s of the way with one of the meringue mixes. Twist the top of the piping bag to secure it.

6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pipe a small amount of meringue under each corner of the parchment paper to secure it.

7. To pipe the meringues, start by piping a circle around 3” in diameter from the outside in. Pipe two more circles on top of the outer edge to complete, so you have a nest. Repeat this seven more times using all three meringue mixes.

8. Transfer the meringues to the oven and bake for 1 hour. Once cooked, turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for at least two hours, or overnight if possible.

To decorate:

9. Once the meringues have cooled and set, pipe the canned whipped cream into the centre of the meringues. Top with mini chocolate eggs and Easter confectionary to serve.