Easter Basket Cupcakes Recipe

After seeing the recipe in a recent coupon flyer, I was determined to make Easter Basket Cupcakes this year.  I just finished, and I’m so proud of the results that I had to share.  They’re so cute I can’t stand it!

I had never baked cupcakes from scratch before, and I don’t consider myself a cupcake expert, but this really was cake!  Between the icing, coconut “grass” and the candy, it’s easy to cover up mistakes that happen with cupcake baking.  At least to me.

I’m really happy with the baking cups – I used the kind that stay bright after baking.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 can (16 oz.) creamy vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
• 3-3/4 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes, (tinted) *
• Candy – anything that looks egg-like
• 33 Strawberry Twizzlers

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
3. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
4. To make Easter baskets, frost each cupcake with vanilla frosting. Immediately make “nest” on top of each cupcake with tinted coconut; place assorted candy in nests.
5. For handle, insert wooden pick in each end of strawberry twists; press down into each side of each cupcake, bending to form handle.** About 33 cupcakes.
*NOTE: To tint coconut, combine several drops green food color with 3/4 teaspoon water; add to 1-1/2 cups coconut. Stir until evenly tinted. Repeat using blue, pink or yellow food color.
** Adults should supervise children when preparing this recipe. Remove wooden picks before serving.

A few tips I have:

1) Place your “eggs” – I used Cadbury mini eggs – into the icing before you add the grass. Otherwise they won’t stay.
2) Use a paper towel to wrap the toothpicks while you’re inserting into the Twizzlers to avoid splinters.

All done – I can’t wait to serve them to my guests tomorrow.