Easter Bonnetsmakes 24 Little Cakes Food

EASTER BONNETS.....MAKES 24 LITTLE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven, and prepare cake mix according to pkg. directions. Line24 muffin cups with paper liners. Evenly divide batter among paper cups. Bake according to pkg. directions. Cool pans on rack for 5 minutes. Remove pans and cool completely. In a bowl knead flour into cookie dough until well combined. On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to a scant 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 4 inch round cookie cutter cut out 24 circles. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes..Cool pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans, cool completely.
• Remove cupcakes from liners.Trim tops to to level tops. Spread top of 1 cupcake with some frosting, attach to cookie with top down. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• Divide and tint rest of frosting in as many colors as desired. Transfer 1/2 cup of each color to separate pastry bags fitted with a small writing tips. Place bonnets on a rack over a a jelly roll pan. Transfer remaining frosting to separate micro-wave containers with a pouring spout. Heat one at a time in microwave on high till pourable, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour frosting over bonnets in a circular motion to cover completely. Reheat frosting as necessary to keep it pourable.Let stand to dry, 10 minutes.
• Using a small spatula or a very flat knife remove bonnets from rack while scrapping any any frosting drips from edges. Pipe drops of frosting desired around base of hat top, for a ribbon effect. Pipe dots for flowers and lines around bottom of brim, as shown.
• ** OPTION: You can use candied flowers and leaves attached with a dot of frosting. Even a very narrow ribbon tied , around base of hat, and tied with a pretty bow. I am a Queen of my RED HAT SOCIETY group ..and plan to make some RED HATS for my SCARLET FLOOZIE gals. Maybe purple hats on there birthday month! What fun!!!!

EASTER BUNNY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter the sides of a 25 x 35cm baking tray and line the base. Melt the rest of the butter in a small saucepan and take off the heat. Mix the milk, yogurt, vanilla and eggs and stir in the butter.
• Tip the dry ingredients plus ¼ tsp salt into a large bowl. Stir through with a whisk and then pour in the wet ingredients, whisking gently as you do so. Keep whisking to a smooth, silky batter. The batter will start to make bubbles straight away so pour it into the tin and shake it to level the top. Bake for 20-25 mins or until risen and golden, and remove from the oven. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack.
• Make the buttercream by tipping the butter into a large bowl and sift the icing sugar on top. Add the vanilla and milk and a pinch of salt then beat carefully for a few mins with an electric whisk until it is creamy, pale and spreadable. If the icing is too stiff add a little more milk.
• Invert the sponge onto a serving board. Cut a bunny head from the sponge using a sharp knife. Cut a nose with a round cutter from the excess, cut the round in half and cut a small oblong to fit between the semi circles to make an oval. Use a little buttercream to stick the nose onto the sponge, ice the outside of the nose with a layer of buttercream. Scoop ¾ of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
• Pipe rows of buttercream around the outside of the cake and all over the face. Make a row of buttercream stars around the ears leaving some space in the middle for a different colour. Colour the remaining ¼ of icing with pink and pipe the centre of the ears. Make a nose shape and two eyes from the fondant and stick them on the face. Paint the nose pink and the eyes blue and black. This cake will keep for 3-4 days somewhere cool. Freeze the offcuts to use in a trifle.