Easter Egg Cupcakes!

I know, I'm posting my recipe for March extremely late. But, no worries, I bring you an Easter themed dessert for this Sunday ( March 31)! Last Easter I made Easter themed cupcakes with bunny-shaped Peep marshmallows. I made them for my class at school, and they were adorable! I had originally planned to make them again this year for my blog, but unfortunately, I couldn't seem to find bunny-shaped Peeps at my local grocery stores! So, I came up with an alternative that I ended up liking better than my Peep cupcakes. Easter Egg Cupcakes! Easter eggs nestled in a patch of grass sit on top of the cupcakes, encircled by vanilla buttercream! The cupcakes were absolutely delicious, and my family finished them off in one day! I hope you enjoy them, and make them for Easter!

For the Cupcakes...

-1 1/4 cups of All-Purpose Flour

-1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder

-1/4 tsp. salt

-3/4 cup of sugar

-6 tbsp. of unsalted butter at room temperature

-1 egg plus 1 egg white

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-1/2 cup whole milk

For the Frosting...

-3 egg whites

-3/4 cup sugar

-pinch of salt
-1 tsp. vanilla

-1 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature

Garnish...

-Easter egg shaped jellybeans(or any other candy)

-coconut

-green food coloring

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl ( I used my food processor), beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer of high speed until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions. Beat on low speed just until combined.

Fill the muffin pan with the cake batter. Bake in oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

Take out of oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool for an hour.

In a large, heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites, salt, and sugar.  

Set the bowl over simmering water and whisking the mixture constantly until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove the bowl, and beat the mixture on high speed with an electric mixer.

Cut the room temperature butter into small pieces.

Add to your mixture in small additions, beating on high speed after each addition. Add the vanilla.

I transfered my frosting to a pastry bag  to decorate my cupcakes. However, if you do not own a pastry bag, using a plastic bag and cutting a hole in the corner works just as well! :)

Take the pastry bag and apply frosting in a circle around the outer edge of the cupcake to create well in the center.

Pour some coconut into a small bowl. Add 5 drops of green food coloring. Whisk until food coloring is mixed in well with the coconut.

Fill coconut in the well created with the icing in the center of the cupcake.

Add easter egg shaped jellybeans!

HAPPY EASTER!  ENJOY! :)(::)(: