These gluten free Mini Egg cupcakes are SO pretty with their swirly rainbow buttercream frosting, topping with crunchy Mini Eggs. Perfect for coeliac-friendly parties or birthdays.
Preheat the oven to 180'C (170'C fan) / Gas 4. Fill a 12-hole baking tin with cupcake cases and set aside while you make the cake batter.
Add the butter, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. (TIP: If the butter is hard, zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before adding it to the mixing bowl to make it easier!)
Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl and beat again for 30 seconds to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula.
Sift in the self-raising gluten free flour and xantham gum, add the milk, and then beat together with the electric whisk until everything is fully combined. You want a fairly thick batter which looks light and fluffy.
Spoon the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases and then place in the centre of an oven and bake for 20-22 minutes. The cupcakes are done when they are well-risen, golden on top, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool in the tray for 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the tray to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
Add the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk on a low speed until it becomes a smooth, pale buttercream. (TIP: To avoid an icing-sugar dust cloud I tend to 'mash' the mixture with a fork until it starts to come together, then use the electric whisk).
Once mixed, separate into three bowls. Add the pink, purple and yellow food colouring (one per bowl) as per the instructions and beat again until the colour is well-mixed in.
Alternating between colours, add the buttercream in spoonfuls to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.. Once full, squeeze down to the nozzle and then swirl onto the cupcakes. Top with a mixture of crushed and whole Mini Eggs before serving.
Video
Notes
For the frosting, it's important to use room temperature butter to get the right consistency. If it becomes very soft once beaten (especially likely on a hot day) then place the buttercream in the piping bag and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until it's an easy consistency to pipe.
These cupcakes will keep for around 3 days in an air-tight container. You can also freeze the cakes BEFORE frosting and defrost and decorate as desired.