Easter Basket Cupcakes (Printable Version)

Charming cupcakes topped with green coconut grass and candy eggs for a festive touch.

# What You Need:

→ Cupcakes

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1/2 cup whole milk
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Frosting

09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 2 cups powdered sugar
11 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

14 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
15 - Green food coloring
16 - 36 mini candy eggs
17 - 12 licorice strips or sour candy belts

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
04 - Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk. Mix until just combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
06 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well. Add milk, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth and fluffy.
07 - In a small bowl, mix shredded coconut with a few drops of green food coloring. Stir until evenly tinted to resemble grass.
08 - Frost cooled cupcakes generously. Sprinkle green coconut over the frosting to cover.
09 - Arrange 2-3 candy eggs atop each cupcake. Form basket handles by inserting licorice strips or candy belts into each side of the cupcake.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The shredded coconut grass looks impossibly charming and tricks everyone into thinking you spent hours on decoration
  • These cupcakes strike that perfect balance of festive and achievable, even if you are not usually a decorator
  • They are the kind of treat that makes both children and adults pause and smile before taking a bite
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients for both cupcakes and frosting make an enormous difference in texture and mixing ease
  • Do not overmix the cupcake batter or you will end up with dense cupcakes instead of tender ones
  • Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt right off
  • Gel food coloring works better than liquid for the coconut, as liquid coloring can make the coconut clumpy
03 -
  • Use a small cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly, which helps all cupcakes bake at the same rate
  • Tap the filled muffin tin gently on the counter before baking to release any air bubbles for smoother tops
  • Buy extra candy eggs because somehow they always disappear during the decorating process

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