Creative Meals for Today's Cook

Easter Cupcakes

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I am not a baker. I wish I were one of those people that could build a perfectly level 3 tiered cake, someone who could make a pie crust without it falling apart, or even ice a cake without it looking like it fell upside down on the floor. You would think with my background in fine arts that I could at least decorate a cookie. Nope… totally suck at it! I don’t know what it is, baking is like my artistic kryptonite. So when I looked at the calendar and realized that Easter is just around the corner and I should probably start thinking about what to make, my mind immediately went to something savory, like a honey baked ham. But then I thought, I really should take this opportunity to add more desserts to my blog (my blog is significantly lacking in sweet treats, given the issues mentioned above).  And then I thought, crap. What can I make that isn’t going to look like… crap? Sorry, I probably shouldn’t curse – particularly in an Easter post.

Easter Cupcakes - Super cute, incredibly easy, and SO delicious!

 

Easter Cupcakes - Super cute, incredibly easy, and SO delicious!

Originally I thought about making Marshmallow Peeps. The original shape of the chicks should be simple enough to make, right? Then I had visions of marshmallow blobs dancing in my head – chicks that looked like they may have had a stroke. No child wants to wake-up to find that in their Easter basket. Then I thought, cupcakes – I can make those! Once I settled on the cupcake, I immediately envisioned coconut “grass” with a mini chocolate bunny on top (the coconut grass would hide my obvious inability to apply frosting to anything and make it look good).  The next question is what type of cake?  I could use chocolate… it could look like dirt under the coconut grass.  Nah.  What about carrot cake?  That would be fitting with the chocolate bunny in an sort of, “what’s up doc?” scenario.  And then I thought about another spice cake… Hummingbird Cake.  The pineapple and banana would be a perfect compliment to the coconut. Have you had Hummingbird Cake?  It’s a uniquely southern U.S. dessert and my personal favorite.  The first known publication by L.H. Wiggin was published in the February 1978 edition of Southern Living magazine and it has since been their most requested recipe. If you’re not baking inclined, (such as myself) this recipe is perfect! Easy to make, insanely delicious, and if I can make these cupcakes look super cute… so can you.  Happy Easter, ya’ll.

 

Cupcakes
 
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Cake recipe from Diana Rattray
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 eggs
  • 1¼ cups vegetable oil
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 cups ripe banana, chopped
  • 24 paper cupcake liner cups
  • vegetable spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon into a large bowl or the bowl of standing mixer. Add the eggs and vegetable oil and combine until just incorporated. Stir in the vanilla, pineapple, and the pecans. Finally, stir in the bananas.
  2. Line the muffin tins with the paper liners and spray with vegetable oil. Spoon the mixture into the cups, filling ¾ of the way. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  3. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting and Topping
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 16 ounces confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 16 ounces shredded coconut
  • green food coloring
  • 24 mini chocolate bunnies
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter. Cream until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar, and whip until fluffy. Add the vanilla and whisk until combined.
  2. Put the coconut in a zip top bag. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of water and 6 drops of green food coloring (add more if you want a deeper color). Pour the liquid evenly over the coconut, close the top, and shake the bag to distribute the coloring.
  3. Frost the tops of each cupcake and sprinkle with the coconut. Top each cupcake with a mini chocolate bunny. Enjoy!

Comments

  1. I can totally related the feeling of not being a baker. I seldom bake things and my blog is so lack of dessert. I make layered cake once in a while, and always wish I didn’t when I was taking pictures of the final dish.
    These Easter cupcakes are so cuuuuuuute! What a fantastic idea of decoration. The flavor of Hummingbird Cake sounds really great with the frosting and the coconut. LOVE! 🙂

    • Thanks, Maggie! Perhaps we should form a bad-baker anonymous club 😉 Although, I’ve seen your desserts – and their exactly the kind I love – naturally sweet and wonderful 🙂

    • Thanks, Allie. I thought the bunnies peeking out of the grass was kinda cute too 😉

  3. You crack me up! If I weren’t so worried about offending people, most of my posts would be littered with profanities!

    THESE ROCK!! The green “grass” on the cupcakes with the bunnies sitting on them….for someone who claims they are not a “baker”, you sure nailed it!

    • Lol! Well, I try not to use them… but sometimes there’s just no better word 😉 Thank you always for your kind words, Nagi.

  4. I’m not a baker either, I just do it for the blog and I don’t have a sweet tooth. These are just too cute. I love the green coconut too. You did a really great job on these for a non baker 🙂

    • Thanks so much, Jannett! Though I must say, I had no idea you weren’t much of baker either – I would never know by your beautiful desserts!

  5. I’m totally like you, Kathleen. So not a baker. But I do LIKE to bake sometimes, and just hope that things will turn out reasonably OK!
    Anyway, back to you. I definitely think you should be proud of yourself for making these beautiful cakes. They’re pretty – that goes without saying – but I also love that they’re hummingbird cakes. Genius!

    • Thanks, Helen! I think so long as something I’ve baked is edible, that’s a win for me 😉 Hummingbird cake is my favorite cake – such wonderful spices and flavors!

  7. Fake it till you make it, right? These cupcakes make you look like a baking genius. The shredded coconut is such a nice springy color and I love the mini chocolate bunny peeking over it. Very cute.

    • Absolutely! 😉

      Thanks so much for your kind words! These were definitely fun to make… even though I was in a panic prior to baking them 😉

    • Thanks, Cailee! Chocolate bunnies were always my favorite when I was little… I guess they still are 😉

  13. Kathleen, “What can I make that isn’t going to look like sh*t? Sorry, I probably shouldn’t curse – particularly in an Easter post.” LOL!!!! oh my gawd, you crack me up. . love these cupcakes!!! and yes to all the mini chocolate bunnies!!!! this is the only time of the year we can chow down on chocolate bunnies! 🙂

    • Lol, SO glad you get my humor 😛 Is it bad that I ate about 5 mini chocolate bunnies before I even made the cupcakes?

    • Chocolate Easter Bunnies were always my favorite growing up – I’d always save them to enjoy last 😉

  15. For not being a baker, these look perfect! I can’t wait for all of the Easter treats. I might have to eat really super duper healthy this week, just to indulge in the sweets which happen to center around the Easter table. 🙂

    • Aww… thanks, Erin. I definitely struggled with this one, but in the end it was totally worth it! Hope you have a wonderful Easter and enjoy lots of treats 🙂

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