Easter Nest Cupcakes

Without anyone telling you, without opening your eyes, you see a lot of Easter eggs, candies, bunnies, chicks…and you know Easter is here! That’s the power of holidays! Or the power of retail business.

With kids around, we do a lot of celebrations for something that we didn’t before. Like Halloween and of course, Easter. We’ve made Easter egg cake pops, bunny and chick cake pops, bunny macarons, Rice Krispies nests, bird’s nest cupcakes, and of course hot cross buns and cinnamon rolls, although it doesn’t necessarily only happen during Easter.

The bird’s nest cupcakes I made before were more about toasting and sprinkling coconuts on top, and kids are definitely welcome to help. Not this batch though, which requires a lot of piping and not bothering by kids. I know involving kids in cooking is fun and loving. But I’ve mentioned it before, I am not that kind of parent. And afterall it’s still fun and loving that you make these secretly and surprise your kids!

Ingredients (12 regular sized cupcakes):
Chocolate Cupcake
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pack 8-ounce cream cheese, soften
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Garnish
48 mini candy coated chocolate eggs

Directions:
To prepare cupcake, preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Crack in the egg, spoon in the sour cream, and pour in the oil and the vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Pour in the boiling water, and slowly mix until smooth and liquidy.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, about halfway full. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely.
To prepare chocolate buttercream, beat butter for a few minutes in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and turn the mixer on low, beat until the sugar incorporates with the butter. Add vanilla, heavy cream and cocoa powder, beat on medium speed for another 3 minutes, or until buttercream becomes light and fluffy. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag with a very tiny round tip.
To prepare cream cheese frosting, place cream cheese and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Transfer frosting to another piping bag with a grass tip or hair tip.
To assemble, start piping the cream cheese frosting on the top of the cupcake. Squeeze the bag, pull up and away when frosting strand is long enough, stop pressure and pull tip away.
Once the top is covered with cream cheese frosting. Piping chocolate buttercream on top in a round and wide circle in the middle of the cupcake. Keep piping rounds to make it look like a nest.
Place 3 to 4 candy eggs in the middle.

6 comments

  1. Yes yes, we used to put toasted coconut for the nest too. I think it’s time to up this game! Look soooooo good!

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