Easter Bunny Cupcakes with Homemade Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

You know how everyone makes cookies for Santa and leaves Reindeer Food out for his reindeer on Christmas Eve? Why does the Easter bunny get the short end of the stick? He works just as hard as Old Saint Nick and gets no respect (I’m writing this in my best Rodney Dangerfield voice)! Why not whip up a batch of Easter Bunny Cupcakes with Homemade Vanilla Buttercream Frosting for the Easter Bunny, topped with super cute carrot candies!

This is a great way to get your kids into the kitchen and away from their electronics during the holiday weekend…and a great way to make sure that you have a few sweet treats awaiting you when you sneak into their room to deliver their Easter basket!

I admit it. This is just my excuse to eat cupcakes for breakfast…

I am not one of those bakers who gives the evil eye to box cake mixes. Homemade, from-scratch cakes and cupcakes are delicious, yes. But box mix cakes and cupcakes are usually just as good, and they are easier for kids to handle when they want to help us bake!

Using a regular white or vanilla box cake mix, follow package directions for making cupcakes. Set aside to cool, leaving them in their cupcake liners and adding a second cupcake liner to make them a little prettier.

Then it’s time for the serious work – making the buttercream frosting from scratch and decorating!

Homemade Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

This recipe will frost 12 cupcakes or a 9×13 cake.

4 from 1 vote

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Homemade Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Author Jenn Quillen

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• Dash of salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Place room temperature butter in mixer and whip until fluffy. Add the salt and mix, then add the vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
2. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar one cup at a time, mixing in between each cup. Add 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix. Add additional tablespoons of milk, one at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
3. Note: If icing becomes too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar. If it’s too stiff, add another tablespoon of milk.

Now, of course you have to decorate these cupcakes with sprinkles and Easter-y stuff! Your best bet for a super cute Easter cupcake is to use spring-themed, pastel-colored sprinkles and then top with Easter-themed chocolate candy.

You can buy pastel-colored Easter candies. pastel-colored chocolate chips or M&M’s, or sit a baby PEEP on top…or make a candy from an inexpensive candy mold! We find them all the time at Joann Fabrics and Michael’s.

Simply melt the candy melts according to the package directions and pour into the candy molds. If your candy melts don’t have directions printed on the back, I find that most melt the same: put into a microwave safe glass dish, and microwave at 30 second intervals until completely melted. Mix in between each interval so that you know when they’re ready – if they burn, you will have to start all over.

Note: You can add a drop of food coloring to white candy melts if you can’t find your desired color. 

Once the candy has set (it usually takes about 30 minutes in my fridge to be completely set), simply pop them out and top your cupcakes with them!