Celebrate Easter With Bunny Cupcakes!!

Happy Easter Everyone!!!  

Be sure to enjoy this holiday weekend with your family and friends, along with indulging in comfort foods and goodies.

If you're like me though? You will certainly need that special homemade treat to help celebrate this occasion.So to give you an idea for this year's treat, I will share with you these adorable bunny butt cupcakes that will certainly impress children as well as adults.

So to get you started, we have cupcakes that are made with a pretty basic cake recipe with simple directions as well as inexpensive ingredients.They include no butter or eggs,which creates a very allergy friendly cake, plus it's  quite adaptable to any ones preferences. It also creates a cake that is very moist as well as flavorful and is still a big favorite amongst my family and friends.So you definitely cannot go wrong with this recipe.

This overall creation also includes a creamy Swiss meringue butter cream,which is an excellent frosting for piping and helps create vibrant color.Its definitely my go to recipe for any cake or cupcake;however everyone must be warned it does include a large amount of egg whites and will take an extensive time to make.Although its well worth the effort for its buttery flavor and silky ,smooth texture.You just cannot resist it.

Then finally,we have the overall decorating process, which includes a piping of butter cream on each cupcake as well as a light dusting of graham cracker crumbs.Then each cupcake is placed with a decorated cake ball to construct a bunny butt and then each is fitted with bunny feet as well as a marshmallow tail.This overall decorating, creates the
illusion of a Easter rabbit digging head first in a cupcake,possibly finding Easter eggs while showing off its bunny butt. Trust me,its super cute!

In the end, you will have created an Easter chocolate and vanilla cupcake that every adult and child will love.They might even both want to decorate one for themselves.So try this creation out for yourself because the time and effort are definitely worth it.Also,your welcome to bring your own ideas to the table.

 

Enjoy! 

Wacky Chocolate Cupcakes & Vanilla Wacky Confetti Cupcakes
Adapted From Martha Stewart's Wacky Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup cold water

1. I preheated the oven to 350 F and lined the muffin tins.

  2. I sifted together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl,then set it aside.Then I mixed the wet ingredients together in a large bowl with a whisk.

3. Then I added the dry mix to the wet mix,whisking until smooth.

4. Then with the cake batter I filled each liner less then three quarters.Then I baked the cupcakes at 350 F for 20 - 25 minutes.Until a toothpick came out clean.Then I let the cupcakes cool completely.

Confetti Cupcakes

 1.Using the same recipe I removed the 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, and stirred in confetti/Easter sprinkles last.Then I baked the cupcakes at 350F for 20 -25 minutes and let them cool completely.

Wacky Vanilla Cake (Bunny Butts)

Adapted from Grade 12 Foods (Wacky Chocolate Cake)

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup cold water

1. I sifted together the flour, sugar, cocoa,baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.I  then mixed the wet ingredients together in a large bowl.The vanilla,vinegar,water and oil.

2. I then added the dry mix to the wet mixture,stirring until fully combined and smooth.

3. I greased a 9 inch square pan, then poured into the prepared pan.Then I baked the cake at 350F for 25 - 30 minutes,until it springed back and toothpick test was clean.

Creating Bunny Butts

1. Once the cake was cooled I used a small cutter (donut hole size) to cut as many circles in the cake as I could.Then I used the cake scrapes to create the reminder cake balls that I needed. There were 32 cakes balls for 32 cupcakes;however cupcakes will vary of course for two recipes. Then I set them aside to cool.

Swiss Meringue Butter cream

Adapted From (Doubled)

2 cups granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups large egg whites (14 eggs)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups cold unsalted butter,cubed

1. Without using a double boiler.I filled a medium pot with water,less then half fill on low-medium heat and placed a large glass bowl over top,without touching the water.

2. I then whisked in together the sugar,salt, and egg whites.Then I began constantly whisking, until the sugar dissolved and the mixture reached 140 F on my candy thermometer or uncomfortable hot to the touch.

 

3. Then once the egg mixture reach the right consistency. I poured the mixture into my stand mixer bowl and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks formed and the mixture was cooled to room temp.Then I added in the vanilla.

Tip:Clean any equipment that will come in contact with the egg whites.Any small trace of grease will ruin a batch of meringue.Easy trick is to dampen a paper towel or cloth with lemon juice or vinegar to wipe down all equipment.

4. Then I weighed and cut my butter into small cubes about 1/4 inch in size.Then I slowly added two-three cubes of butter at a time to the cooled egg mixture,while beating.I did this until the butter was fully incorporated and the icing was smooth and satiny.I did have to turn up the power slightly at the end to help the icing come together.It will look curdled in the process,but I kept beating and it will correct itself.

5. I reserved about 1 cup of white butter cream to frost the bunny butts and attach the bunny tails.

 

6.With three bowls, I took about 1 1/2 cups or more of butter cream for each bowl. Colored one pink,purple and green,or desired colors. Then I used Wilton's gel colors to create vibrant colors. Then I used a toothpick to add color and mix with a small spoon.Then set aside at room temperature or up to 24 hours at room temp.

Decorating

Bunny Butts

  

1. Frosted the cake balls slightly with the white butter cream,dipped them in coconut flakes and set them aside in the fridge to set.I used one bag of coconut flakes.

Rabbit Feet

1. Without using a double boiler.I filled a medium pot with water,less then half fill on low-medium heat and placed a large glass bowl over top,without touching the water.

2. I chopped up two lindt white chocolate bars and placed them in the glass bowl.Melted them over medium-high heat.Once melted,I turned the heat down to low.

 3. I then covered a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil and used a piping bag to create bunny feet. (32 pairs of bunny feet for 32 cupcakes)

4. Then I melted Wilton's purple candy melts based on the packages directions.Melted the candy melts for 30 seconds,took out, mixed,repeat, until smooth.Added vegetable oil to help create a smoother mixture.

5. I then used a toothpick to decorate the feet with the candy melts and then placed the rabbit feet into the fridge,until set.

Decorate Cupcakes

 1. Using the Wilton's color swirl 3 color coupler.I filled each piping bag with each color and then piped each cupcake using a star tip.

 

2. Then I sprinkled graham cracker crumbs on the top or Oreo crumbs to create dirt. Then I placed the coconut cake balls on top and then attached the rabbit feet. Lastly,I added one mini marshmallow  to  the top of the cake balls to create a bunny tail.I repeated the process for each cupcake.