Apple and cinnamon cakes and a marzipan Easter bunny

Did you give up chocolate or sweets for Lent? Are you looking forward to stuffing your face this Sunday? I would be!!

Well, I would be had I given anything up. When I was 10 I gave up chocolate for Lent. Then, on Easter Sunday I ate so many chocolate eggs I was almost sick... I decided not to bother for Lent after that =p

The cake recipe is from the Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days cookbook. I absolutely love this book as it's got the cutest photos ever and all of the recipes are sorted into occasion. As you may have guessed, this cake recipe is from 'Easter'. I had to modify the baking times as I wan't making cupcakes as the recipe was originally for, and also changed the frosting, but if you follow my recipe below everything should be juuusstt dandy.

I saw these marzipan bunnies in the ASDA magazine here and they were just adorable! So I had to make them myself. As ASDA suggested, it would be a really fun thing to make if you've got kids over this weekend, as it's not too hard and not dangerous. Beware, the chocolate gets a bit messy though! I've included a photo tutorial of how to make this cute little critter below, I hope it helps :)

Marzipan Bunny tutorial:
1. Knead about a handful (something like 100g? I'm not sure of the exact weight) golden marzipan to soften it. Pick off  pieces to form the shapes shown. Do the same with white marzipan (about 20g) to make the cheeks and insides of the ears.

2. Press the pieces together. You may need to make the head and body a little flatter on the top and bottom so that they stick and the head doesn't fall off the bunny. No one wants a decapitated bunny!

3. Melt 50g dark chocolate in a small bowl. Pick up the whole body and dip it into the chocolate. Put on a piece of baking paper. Use chopsticks or a small paintbrush or a toothpick (or something of that kind) to dot on eyes, nose and whiskers.

4. Add a small ball of white marzipan for the tail.

For the cake, you will need:

I forgot to add butter in this photograph. So I'm warning you now, don't forget the butter in the recipe! Rookie error!

Apple and cinnamon cake with white chocolate frosting Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook Takes about 1 ½ hours, including baking time For the sponge 80g/ 3oz/ ⅓ cup butter, melted 280g/ 10oz/ ¾ cup caster sugar 240g/ 8½oz/ 2 cups plain flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp salt 240ml/ 8½fl oz/ 1 cup milk 2 eggs, beaten 2 apples For the frosting 100g white chocolate 50g icing sugar 50g butter, melted Chocolate mini eggs, to decorate Preheat the oven to 190C/375F, and line a square baking tin with baking paper. Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix with your fingertips until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Place the milk in a jug with the eggs and whisk until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the milk mixture. Using an electric whisk, mix until smooth and thick. Peel, core and chop the apples into small squares (about 1cm wide) and then stir into the batter. Spoon the batter into the tin, and bake for 45 mins. Check that it is done by inserting a skewer into the centre to see if it comes out clean. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Melt the butter and white chocolate in a bowl suspended over boiling water (or microwave in 30 second bursts). If It curdles, whisk thoroughly until combined. Sift in the icing sugar and whisk again. When the cake has cooled, cut into about 12 pieces. Spread the frosting over and before the frosting has dried add the mini eggs or marzipan bunnies.

Have a happy happy Easter and enjoy the eggs, chocolate and holiday! For those of you at University, enjoy your Easter break!