Gender Reveal Cupcakes

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160C (320F) or 180C (356F) for a conventional oven. Spray an baking tray with oil spray and line the bottom with baking paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and salt. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well (alternatively you may do this by sifting the ingredients together). Add the softened butter and mix until it resembles a fine sand like texture.

Add the milk, oil, greek yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract into into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.

Fill baking tray with batter. Bake for 30 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 2 min and then carefully flip the cake over on to a cooling wrack to cool completely before using.

Using a large serrated knife, carefully trim the top off to make even and flat layers. Try to aim to get them all the same height.

Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. Set aside.

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160C (320F) or 180C (356F) for a conventional oven. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cocoa powder, plain flour, salt, bicarb soda and sugar. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well!(alternatively you may do this by sifting the ingredients together). Add the softened butter there is no butter visible and it’s well incorporated into the dry.

Next, add milk and eggs in a jug and whisk until well combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.

Fill each paper ¾ of the way (using an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process otherwise you can use two tablespoons). Insert heart shaped cake into each cupcake liner. Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Add egg whites to a large very clean bowl and whip to soft peaks. Very slowly add sugar while mixer is on high speed until all the sugar is in the egg whites. Continue mixing until you reach stiff glossy peaks.

Separate meringue into two separate bowls and colour one with blue and the other with pink. You can of course colour them any colour you like to suit your needs! :0)

Bake for 1 hr on 100c and allow them to cool in the oven before taking out. The meringues will soften after a couple hours. That’s completely normal. The slower and longer you bake them the drier they’ll be. If you have extra, store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To put the cupcakes together fit the end of a piping bag with a Wilton 6B piping tip and frost a double donut swirl. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and then pipe a small swirl on top of that. Attach meringue kisses as demonstrated to frosting.