Easter Basket Cupcakes

These whimsical Easter basket cupcakes will surely bring springtime cheer to your table! The light and fluffy cupcakes are baked from scratch and topped with vanilla frosting, shredded coconut and colorful candies to mimic the look of a miniature Easter basket.

In addition to being a delight to look at, this cupcake recipe is a fun project for the whole family. Bake the cupcakes, prep the frosting and then set out all the toppings for kids to help decorate. These sweet little cupcakes would also make adorable take-home favors or name card holders at each place setting for a spring party or Easter brunch.

Ingredients for Easter Basket Cupcakes

• Butter: You’ll need two and a half sticks of butter to make Easter basket cupcakes. Note that you need softened butter for the cupcake batter and the frosting. A stick of butter typically takes around one hour to soften, but we have tricks to soften butter quickly if you forget to pull it out of the fridge ahead of time.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar sweetens the cupcakes and gives them a moist crumb. Don’t substitute brown sugar because it’ll alter the flavor and produce denser cupcakes.
• Egg: A room-temperature egg will be easier to mix with the creamed butter and sugar than a cold egg. It’ll also hold more air in the batter, which creates fluffy cupcakes in the oven.
• Orange zest: Fresh orange zest adds a subtle citrus aroma and flavor to the cupcakes. No oranges in the house? Zest a lemon. If you don’t care for citrus, you can omit the zest. The cupcakes will still taste scrumptious.
• Cake flour: Using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour makes these cupcakes extra tender. It contains less protein than other types of flour, resulting in baked goods with a lighter texture.
• Leavening agents: A combination of baking powder and baking soda helps the cupcakes rise.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient that enhances the action of leavening agents, giving you cupcakes that are soft and airy. The tangy taste of buttermilk also makes these cupcakes extra flavorful. You can find buttermilk in the dairy aisle of most grocery stores, or you can make buttermilk by mixing 2/3 cup of milk with two teaspoons of white vinegar.
• Frosting: These cupcakes are frosted with a basic vanilla cream cheese frosting made with butter, cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. Let your butter and cream cheese sit at room temperature for extra-smooth frosting that’s easy to mix and spread.
• Coconut: To make fluffy Easter basket “grass” for the tops of the cupcakes, we dye shredded coconut with a few drops of green food coloring. The recipe calls for sweetened shredded coconut, but you can substitute the unsweetened kind for a stronger coconut flavor.
• Candy: Seasonal candy makes these Easter basket cupcakes extra cute! Pick up a bag of chocolate or fruit-flavored licorice twists to create the basket handles, and Easter candy eggs to place inside each basket.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes.

Editor’s Tip: You can cream butter and sugar by hand, but it takes elbow grease. I always use my handheld mixer to conserve energy for other activities—like eating my baking creations!

Step 2: Add the egg and orange zest

Add the egg and orange zest to the creamed butter. Beat until they’re well incorporated.

Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Editor’s Tip: If your flour has clumped, sift it with the other dry ingredients to aerate and remove lumps.

Step 4: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk

Add a third of the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, and beat them until combined. Add approximately half of the buttermilk and beat again. Repeat until all the dry ingredients and buttermilk have been added to the creamed mixture.

Editor’s Tip: Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions to ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Step 5: Bake the cupcakes

Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full with cupcake batter. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: A large ice cream scoop is handy for portioning equal amounts of batter in each cupcake liner.

Step 6: Cool the cupcakes

Cool the cupcakes in the muffin tins for 10 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 7: Make the frosting

In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes.

Editor’s Tip: An offset spatula makes creating an even and smooth layer of frosting easy, but the back of a spoon or a butter knife works in a pinch.

Step 8: Dye the coconut

Combine one teaspoon of water and four drops of green food coloring in a large bowl. Add the shredded coconut and stir until the coconut is evenly coated with color.

Editor’s Tip: Lightly press down on the coconut to help it adhere to the frosting.

Step 9: Decorate the cupcakes

Sprinkle the colored coconut over the cupcakes. Use a metal or wooden skewer to poke two holes in the tops of the cupcakes, one on each side of each cupcake. Cut licorice twists into 6-inch strips and insert each end of a licorice piece into the holes to create the basket handles. Decorate the cupcakes with candy eggs.

TASTE OF HOME

Cupcake Easter Basket Variations

• Add more color: Divide the shredded coconut into two or three dishes and use other food colors to dye it various pastel colors, like green, blue and pink.
• Change the candy: The seasonal candy aisle abounds with options during springtime, so you’ll find fun options to use as decorations. If chocolate eggs and licorice ropes aren’t your jam, top the cupcakes with sour twists, fruit leather, jelly beans, marshmallow bunnies or small foil-wrapped chocolates.
• Fill the cupcakes: Cut a small hole in the bottom of your unfrosted cupcakes and use a spoon or piping bag to make filled cupcakes. For inspiration, try filling the cupcakes with extra frosting, strawberry jam, lemon curd or even chocolate hazelnut spread.
• Use a different frosting: Change the flavor of your cupcakes by preparing a different frosting recipe. Instead of cream cheese frosting, try rich chocolate buttercream, caramel frosting or fruity strawberry frosting.
• Make bird’s nest cupcakes: Omit the licorice twists (aka the basket handles) and the green food dye. Toast the shredded coconut in a skillet until it’s lightly golden, let it cool and apply it to each frosted cupcake. Top each cupcake with candy eggs to make a cute little bird’s nest.

How to Store Easter Basket Cupcakes

Since the cupcakes and frosting contain dairy, it’s best to store leftover decorated Easter basket cupcakes in the fridge. The cold, dry air can dry out the cupcakes, so pack them in an airtight container and try to eat them within three days.

Can you freeze Easter basket cupcakes?

You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes, but we don’t recommend freezing them once they’re assembled. The decorations make them harder to store, and freezing can alter the texture of the frosting and candy. I recommend wrapping individual cupcakes in storage wrap to prevent freezer burn. Freeze the cupcakes for up to two months and thaw them at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator before frosting them.

Can you make Easter basket cupcakes ahead of time?

Yes, you can make these cupcakes beforehand. You can bake the cupcakes well in advance and store them in the freezer for up to two months, or bake them a day or two ahead of time and store them, unfrosted, in the refrigerator. You can make the frosting a day or two ahead of time and store it in the fridge, but you’ll need to bring it back to room temperature before spreading it on the cupcakes.

Easter Basket Cupcake Tips

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Can you make cupcake Easter baskets with a boxed mix?

Yes, you can prepare the cupcakes with a boxed mix instead of ingredients from scratch. Using a boxed cake mix allows you to easily customize the cake flavor, whether you prefer chocolate, confetti or classic yellow cake mix. If you still want the cupcakes to have a hint of orange flavor, choose a white cake or yellow cake mix and stir orange zest into the batter. Bake the cupcakes according to package directions, let them cool, then decorate them.

What can you use for grass instead of coconut?

Instead of shredded coconut, you can dye the frosting green before spreading it on the cupcakes. For the best results, transfer the frosting to a piping bag and use a grass piping tip to make the frosting resemble tufts of fluffy grass.

How do you attach the licorice twist to the cupcakes?

To attach the licorice twist, use a skewer or a straw to poke holes on opposite sides of each frosted cupcake. Then, insert the ends of the licorice into each hole to create a curved basket handle over the cupcake. If you’re having trouble getting the licorice to stay in place, try inserting toothpicks into either side of the cupcake and then pushing the licorice onto the tops of the toothpicks.