Last year I made bunny butt cupcakes for an Easter treat and I LITERALLY could not stop staring at them, they were SO CUTE! This year I thought I would give some attention to the bunny’s other end and make bunny ear cupcakes. The first couple were a bit scary. I tried using candy eyes and the little bunnies looked demented, not to mention that the buttercream kept getting messed up when I attached the eyes and nose. Not cute, BUT — through trial and error — I was able to make something worth sharing!!! In the end, I added some coconut for fluffy fur and mini chocolate chips for eyes!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make marshmallow bunny ears?
Cut marshmallows diagonally with a pair of clean scissors. Dip the cut side in pin sanding sugar then they’re ready to use on cupcakes!
How do you stick marshmallows to a cupcake?
Use a knife or other tool to scrape the top layer off, the surface looses its tackiness, especially when covered in shredded coconut! You may need to cut the bottom of the marshmallow if it is not sticking to the surface.
Can I make pink sugar?
Yes! While I usually buy colored sanding sugar it’s quite easy to make. Add sugar to a plastic bag then a few drops of food coloring. Mix until the color is distributed then spread onto a baking sheet and allow to dry.
How To Make Bunny Cupcakes
1. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F and add cupcake papers to your muffin tin. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl then give it a quick whisk and set aside.
2. Add the milk, sour cream, vanilla, eggs, and melted butter to a bowl then mix together until combined.
3. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined. If using sprinkles, fold in at this point so they’re distributed evenly.
4. Fill the cupcake papers about 3/4 the way up. I like to use an ice cream scoop but you can spoon it in if that’s easier.
5. For the buttercream: Beat the butter until light and fluffy, add the sugar a cup at a time and beat well. Mix in the cream until a desired consistency is reached. Once your cupcakes are out of the oven and cooled, pipe the buttercream on top.
6. Using a pair of clean scissors, cut your marshmallows in diagonally in half. Clean the scissors after each cut so you get a neat edge for the bunny ears. Try dampening the blades if things are a bit messy.
7. Dip the cut side of the marshmallow into the pink sanding sugar then set aside. You can squeeze the marshmallow as you dip it to avoid getting sugar on the edge, a white outline makes it look like a fuzzy ear.
8. To make the bunny noses, roll a small ball of fondant in the sanding sugar. This will work best if you brush the fondant with water first.
9. Once your cupcakes are out of the oven and cooled, pipe the buttercream on top. Start at the edge then pipe a spiral toward the center. you want to build up some height for that bunny head.
10. Pour the shredded coconut into a bowl and lightly dip the frosted cupcakes into it until the buttercream is covered in the coconut.
11. Add the ears and nose to the cupcake. You’ll need to push aside some of the shredded coconut so they stick.
12. Now use two small chocolate chips for the eyes, press the pointy sides in and you have your Easter bunny!
Pro Tips for Making the Best Bunny Cupcakes
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- A bit of advice on the ingredients. You can get the cheapest flour, sour cream, milk and even butter but you have to get good vanilla for this recipe! It’s the main flavor and you want it to shine so go find a good real vanilla extract and it you want to get points for being fancy use some vanilla bean paste too while you’re at it. People love seeing the little specks of vanilla in the cupcakes.
- Baking papers come in different sizes and everyone’s oven is slightly different. I like to turn my pan halfway through baking and toward the end of the baking time I keep a close eye on the oven.
- Once the centers are springy and a toothpick comes out clean the cupcakes are ready. Being watchful at the end lessens the chances of having caramelized dark edges on your cupcake, ensuring it’s light, soft, and moist!
- You can make a few tablespoons of THICK buttercream by adding more powdered sugar to your buttercream and mixing it in with a spatula. This can be rolled for the noses instead of the fondant for those of you who are not fans/don’t have it on hand.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried these Easter bunny cupcakes then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Easter Bunny Cupcakes
Video
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 105g
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 1/2 tsp baking soda 2g
- 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 170g, melted
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract 15mL
- 1/2 cup sour cream 115g
- 1/2 cup milk 118mL
- 1/2 cup sprinkles optional
For the Buttercream:
- 1 pound unsalted butter 453g, room temperature
- 8 cups confectioners' sugar 880g
- 1/2 cup cream 118mL
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1/2 tsp salt optional
For the Assembly:
- 1 tbsp fondant
- 1/2 cup pink sanding sugar 198g
- 12 marshmallows
- 24 chocolate chips small
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 200g, approximately
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl then whisk together and set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the sprinkles at the very end and mix at little as possible.
- Divide the mixture into cupcake papers
- Bake at 340 for about 20 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Baking time depends on the size of your cupcakes
For the buttercream:
- Cream the butter then add the sugar a cup at a time and beat well. Mix in cream until desired consistency is reached.
To Decorate:
- Ice the cupcakes. I use.d a large round tip but you can also snip the tip off a piping bag
- Roll in coconut
- Cut marshmallows in half diagonally. Dip cut sides in the sanding sugar.
- Roll fondant into small balls. Wet and roll in sanding sugar.
- Place ears, noses and eyes on the cupcakes and serve!
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Baking papers come in different sizes and everyone’s oven is slightly different. I like to turn my pan halfway through baking and toward the end of the baking time I keep a close eye on the oven.
- Once the centers are springy and a toothpick comes out clean the cupcakes are ready. Being watchful at the end lessens the chances of having caramelized dark edges on your cupcake, ensuring it’s light, soft, and moist!
- You can make a few tablespoons of THICK buttercream by adding more powdered sugar to your buttercream and mixing it in with a spatula. This can be rolled for the noses instead of the fondant for those of you who are not fans/don't have it on hand.
Nutrition
