Easy Cupcakes

For a fun Easter cupcake, perch a Peep among a patch of cute carrots. I got the idea for the carrots from a Wilton design, but swapped out the candy bunny for a marshmallow Peep.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; green frosting; 1 marshmallow Peep bunny; 5 to 7 candy corn pieces; green icing in tube with leaf tip attachment, or pastry bag with leaf tip and coupler attached.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake green. It’s easiest to arrange the candy corn first. Then, use leaf tip to squeeze small amount of green icing on wide part of candy corn for stems. Cut Peep at about the neckline (ouch!) and place near front of cupcake as shown.

I combined ideas from a few different Easter bunny cupcake designs I’d seen online and in magazines to make this cupcake, who has two unusual features: pretzel whiskers and paper ears. For best results, insert the paper ears just before serving.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; pink frosting; 4 stick pretzels; 1 red jellybean; mini blue M&Ms; pink cardstock; scissors.

How to Make It: frost cupcake. Place red jellybean in center for nose. Add blue eyes directly above nose. Break or cut off a bit of pretzel ends if you think they’re too long (I did). Cut ear shapes, both at once, from pink cardstock, fold slightly and insert between cupcake and paper liner.

I got this Easter cupcake idea from the Reynolds company’s Web site (Besides foil, they make cupcake liners). Try it with carrot cake!

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white (or cream cheese) frosting; 6 orange jelly beans; shredded coconut; green food coloring.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. In bowl or cup, use food coloring to tint coconut green. Arrange jellybeans in triangle shape to form carrot. Sprinkle coconut at the wide top for leaves.

Add some texture to your baby chick cupcakes this Easter with shredded coconut! These cupcakes would also be fun at a party with a farm theme.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted yellow; shredded coconut; yellow dye (liquid or paste); orange candy fruit wedge; 2 brown, black or blue M&Ms; 3 red jellybeans; scissors or knife.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Put coconut in a bowl, add yellow dye and mix well. Sprinkle on cupcake for feathers. Arrange 3 red jellybeans at top of head. Cut triangle shape from candy fruit and place on top as beak. Add M&M eyes.

Whether you’re making Easter cupcakes or anytime carrot cake cupcakes, candy-covered sunflower seeds make for cute, quick “carrots.” Add some leaves and you’re ready for the Easter Bunny!

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; orange candy-covered sunflower seeds; icing tinted green or gel or writing icing in a tube; #3 metal tip with pastry bag and coupler (or just use tubed icing).

How to Make It: Frost cupcake white. Place candy-covered sunflower seeds all over the top. The pointy ends are the tips of the carrots. Add bit of green icing to wide end of each seed to make carrot.

There’s a whole flock of potential uses for these baby chick cupcakes: “chick flick” night, Easter, a farm party–the list goes on and on.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted yellow; 1 candy corn; 2 candy eyes (or use M&Ms or piping gel).

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Add candy eyes and candy corn for beak. That’s it!

Here’s another take on Easter bunny cupcakes. These have cute licorice ears.
What You Need: 1 cupcake; white icing; 2 mini marshmallows; red jellybean; 2 red mini M&Ms; pink gel writing icing; thin, stiff red licorice strands.
How to Make It: Frost cupcake white. Add mini M&M eyes, red jellybean nose and mini marshmallow muzzle as shown. Using pink writing gel to add mouth. For ears, place end of one licorice strand into cupcake, loop around, and place other end into cupcake. Repeat for second ear.