Julie Clark
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Vanilla Easter Bunny Cupcakes
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Vanilla Easter Bunny Cupcakes with a hint of citrus, piled high with a deliciously sweet frosting and topped with cute marshmallow rabbit ears.
Looking for a fun, edible craft to do with the kids this spring? Try these Vanilla Easter Bunny Cupcakes. These cupcakes are not only a fun kiddie activity, but a tasty one too. You’ll love the hint of citrus flavor inside.
Why you’ll love these Easter bunny cupcakes:
- The cupcakes are delicious. Very moist, with a flavor combination of vanilla and a light citrus.
- A homemade vanilla buttercream that whips up light, but sweet and pipes beautifully.
- Cute marshmallow bunny ears dipped in sanding sugar, making these cupcakes perfect for Easter parties and egg hunts.
Tips for Making Cupcakes
- You can substitute the all purpose flour with cake flour.
- Whole milk is best for the cake batter. You can use a lower fat milk in a pinch, however, the crumb will be slightly less tender.
- Try vanilla sugar in place of regular sugar.
- Use room temperature eggs for a lighter, fluffier cupcake.
- Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature before you begin the cupcakes and the frosting. The stick of butter should give slightly when you press it.
Vanilla Frosting for Cupcakes
- It’s always easiest to use a high powered hand mixer or stand mixer to mix the buttercream. This will give you the fluffiest texture.
- Make sure the butter is not at all melted before making the frosting. It should be soft, but not melted. Melted butter will give your frosting a strange texture.
- If your buttercream frosting is too thin, add powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thick, add a splash more cream.
- You can also use store bought frosting. Or make a cream cheese frosting, too!
How to Make Marshmallow Bunny Ears
To make the bunny ears, cut the marshmallows in half diagonally then dip the cut side (the sticky side) into the sanding sugar. It’s a little sticky, but isn’t as hard as it looks.
The kids will have fun pressing the marshmallow “ears” into their favorite color of sugar or sprinkles.
Storage Instructions
Bunny Cupcakes Recipe and Instructions
Buttercream cupcakes are good for 2-3 days and don’t need to be refrigerated. They should be stored in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Undecorated cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Prepping for Easter? Check out our traditional Easter dinner menu.
Vanilla Easter Bunny Cupcakes
Vanilla Easter Bunny Cupcakes with a hint of citrus, piled high with a deliciously sweet frosting and topped with cute marshmallow rabbit ears
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 41 minutes
Ingredients
For the vanilla cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teapsoon orange zest
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup whole milk
For the vanilla buttercream:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
For the bunny ears
- 12 marshmallows
- 1/4 cup pink sanding sugar
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat until pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in-between each addition. The mixture should double in volume and look very light.
- Pour the vanilla extract and zest into the mixture and mix until combined.
- Mix together the flour and the baking powder, then add a third of it to the mixing bowl, beat well, then add a third of the milk beating again. Repeat until all the flour and milk have been added.
- Divide the cupcake batter between the 12 cupcake liners.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 16-18 minutes or until the cupcakes are light golden brown and spring back when touched.
- Once baked, set aside to cool on a wire rack.
Make the buttercream:
- To make the vanilla buttercream, add the butter to a large mixing bowl and beat until very creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat again. You will notice that the mixture looks like dry sand. Don’t be alarmed as it will come together when you add the cream.
- Pour in the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream in the bow. Beat on high speed for at least 5 minutes. The vanilla buttercream should look pale and very fluffy.
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip. I used a Wilton 1M but you can use any tip you have on hand.
- Pipe the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes.
Make the bunny ears:
- To make the bunny ears, cut the marshmallows in half diagonally then dip the cut side (the sticky side) into the sanding sugar.
- To assemble, sprinkle the shredded coconut over the cupcakes then press two marshmallow bunny ears on top of the icing.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 cupcakes, with 1 serving being 1 cupcake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Serving: 128g | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 701IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
Inspired by: Easy Bunny Cupcakes
