Printable Recipe: Easter Basket Cupcakes

Fun Easter Cupcakes Recipe: Easter Basket Cupcakes

Kids will definitely enjoy the two elegant, tasty Easter dessert recipes above... but if you really want to get your kids excited, they'll go wild for these Easter cupcakes! Chocolately, sweet, and oh-so cute, they're the perfect way to celebrate Easter with your kids. Let the kids help decorate, and have some Easter fun as a family.

The decorating options are all optional, so have fun with it! The cupcakes are shown here with simple green "grass" piped frosting (and chocolate Twizzler "handles"), but you can also do green (or whatever color) frosting or coconut "grass." Then add chocolate eggs, jelly beans, marshmallow Peeps... the sky's the limit. Let the kids help and have fun with them!

This Easter dessert recipe makes about 32 not-too-sweet cupcakes (the darker chocolate flavor makes it so adults will love them, too), and you may have a little frosting leftover after frosting them. The recipe makes a rather sweet frosting to complement the dark chocolate cupcake, so if you like yours a little less sweet (or don't want your kiddos bouncing off the walls after one bite), you can reduce the sugar in the frosting recipe with good results.

Ingredients:
Cupcake Batter:
3 C. flour
2 C. granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
2/3 C. cocoa powder
1 C. vegetable oil
2 C. water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. white vinegar

Frosting:
1 C. butter, softened
3 1/2 C. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
Green food coloring (or other desired color), as needed

Decorating:
1 pkg. Candy eggs (Whopper eggs work well)
32 Chocolate Twizzlers (for handles)
Shredded dry coconut, colored as desired with food coloring (optional)
Jelly beans, Marshmallow Peeps, and other candies (optional)

Instructions for cupcakes: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients with a fork. Add oil, water, vanilla, and vinegar. Blend well.

3. Divide mixture evenly between prepared, paper-lined cupcake tins (about 32).

4. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Let cool completely on wire racks before frosting and decorating.

Instructions for frosting:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and salt. Blend well.

2. Add milk and vanilla. Beat several minutes over medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy.

Instructions for decorating:

Frost and decorate as desired with colored coconut (learn how to do this here), jelly beans or chocolate eggs. When frosted and decorated, insert each end of one Twizzler (chocolate looks best, but you can use any flavor) firmly into the cupcake to make a basket.