Michelle Darmody: Chocolate pretzel nest cupcakes and a centrepiece for your Easter feast

And lemon marzipan squares that are perfect with a cup of coffee

These festive cupcakes are fun to make with the little ones. 

The run-up to Easter is a beautiful time of year: the daffodils are still up, and a cut-grass scent is beginning to fill the air evoking the coming summer months. It can also be a time of excessive chocolate consumption, so if you are baking it might be nice to try a fresher, citrusy dessert, such as the Orange Blossom Cake or the Lemon Marzipan Squares. Of course, there is one Easter chocolate recipe included, just for good measure.

The origins of marzipan are extremely contested, some stating it was invented to ward off starvation during a famine in Germany in the 1400s, others say it was first recorded in the Far East, then made its way to the Arab nations where orange blossom water and rose were often added. Either way the confection is now used widely across the globe. It is made from sugar and ground, blanched almonds, usually with the addition of egg yolk to bind them. You can make your own or there are several good varieties available in shops. It can be rolled and cut with a cookie cutter then lightly baked or shaped into decorative fruits. In the recipe here, it is added to the cake batter where it melts and combines during baking.

If you are making the Orange Blossom Cake, it is best to refrain from using a knife to remove it from the tin, as this can tear up the exterior of the cake and also scratch the lining of your bundt tin. A rubber spatula works best. If you are nervous about getting the cake out, you can cover the exposed top of the tin with a tea towel that has been soaked in very hot water then squeezed out. Leave it over the tin until it is cool and the steam should help loosen the cake.

Easter orange blossom cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This citrussy celebration cake is the perfect centrepiece for Easter

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 250g soft butter

• Zest 4 oranges

• 300g golden caster sugar

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 300g self raising flour

• 1 tbsp orange blossom water

• 140ml orange juice

• For the icing:

• 50g icing sugar

• 2 tsp orange blossom water

• 1 tsp butter

• Zest 1 orange

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Method

1. Carefully grease with a pastry brush dipped into oil and flour your Bundt tin and preheat your oven to.

2. Beat butter, zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly one at a time. Slowly mix in the flour, orange blossom water and juice.

3. Scoop the mixture into your tin and bake for about an hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

4. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then place a wire rack on top of the tin and gently flip it over. You may have to jiggle the cake a little to remove it. Use a rubber spatula to gently ease it out. Allow to cool completely on the wire rack.

5. To make the icing: stir the orange blossom water and icing sugar together, stir in the buttermilk and zest and drizzle onto the cake.

Chocolate pretzel nests

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Easter cupcakes with a deliciously crunchy top

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• For the buns:

• 225g soft butter

• 220g golden caster sugar

• 210g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 15g cocoa powder

• For the chocolate pretzel nests:

• 100g dark chocolate, broken into small even-sized pieces

• 45g thin salted pretzels, broken into sticks

• For the buttercream:

• 75g soft butter

• 100g icing sugar

• 50g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and place bun cases into a 12-hole bun tin.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, slowly add in the eggs. Add the flour, vanilla and cocoa and combine well making sure to scrape the sides.

3. Spoon the mixture between the bun cases and bake for about 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Once cool enough to handle place onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the pretzel nests: melt the chocolate in a heatproof dish over a saucepan of boiling water. Remove the chocolate from the heat and stir in the pretzels making sure to coat them all. Grease a bun tin with some melted butter or oil. Scoop the chocolate mixture between the holes in the bun tin and spread it out so that it rises around the side of each hole. Allow to cool then place into the fridge to firm up. You can gently pry them out once they have solidified. This step can be done ahead of time and the nests stored for a few days until you are ready for them.

5. To make the icing: whip the butter, cocoa and sugar in a large bowl until very soft, pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and milk and continue beating until combined. Spread the butter cream on the cooled buns and sit a pretzel nest on top of each one. Fill the nests with eggs if you wish.

Marzipan lemon squares

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Marzipan adds a delicious richness to these lemon squares

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 250g soft butter

• 230g golden caster sugar

• Zest 2 lemons

• Zest 1 orange

• 3 eggs, lightly whisked

• 200g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder, sieved

• 100g ground almonds

• 50mls milk

• 150g marzipan, grated

• For the drizzle:

• the juice of ½ a lemon

• 40g golden caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line an 8 x 12-inch baking tin with parchment.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in the zest and a third of the eggs and combine, slowly add in the rest of the eggs.

3. Stir in the flour, baking powder and the ground almonds, making sure to scrape the edges of the bowl. Combine them into the batter then stir in the milk and grated marzipan.

4. Scoop the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

5. Stir the lemon juice and caster sugar together and pour them over the tray bake while it is still warm. Allow to cool in the tin and cut into whatever size squares you wish.