Easter Surprise Vanilla Cupcakes

These Easter Surprise Cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate this confection-driven holiday. Not only do they contain buried treasure in the form of chocolate eggs hidden in the centre, they are simply the most delicious vanilla cupcakes you will ever taste. I made batch upon batch of cupcakes in my Grail Quest to find the perfect vanilla cupcake and I think this recipe takes the cake. It’s super moist, explodes with flavour and has the added blast of chocolate in the centre to give it even more oomph. It’s also a cinch to make! Decorate with an edible bunny butt burrowing amid frosting grass and fondant flowers for even more Easter appeal. Much more “eggciting” than simply serving regular chocolate eggs.

EASTER SURPRISE CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons (225g) self-raising flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (220g) Caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream (125ml)
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Whisk together self-raising flour, sugar, salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
3. Add melted butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Put a small (about 3cm long) chocolate egg in the center of each cupcake, except for three which you will reserve to make cake pops. Push each egg down gently so it is almost at the bottom of the batter.
5. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from tin and let cool to room temperature.
6. Set aside the three reserved cupcakes without the eggs in the center for use in cake pops to make Bunny Butts. Let rest of cupcakes cool before frosting.

GREEN GRASS FROSTING

1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 -8 drops Green food colouring

1. Whip the butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy. Add vanilla until combined.
2. Mix green food coloring into buttercream until get desired color. Fit piping bag with a Wilton #233 multi-opening piping tip and fill with green frosting.
3. Form grass by pulling up and away to form clumps. Stop pressure and pull tip away once strands get to about 1cm or so high. Put frosted cupcakes in a sealed container and place in fridge to set grass while you prepare bunny butts.

BUNNY DECORATIONS

Reserved cupcakes
Store bought vanilla frosting
Parchment paper
Lollipop sticks
Mini marshmallows
White and pink candy melts

1. Line a tray or large plate with parchment paper. Put the reserved cupcakes in a large bowl and crumble them with your hands until the crumbs are very fine. You can also use a food processor.

2. Add a small amount of frosting and thoroughly combine with your hands. Continue adding frosting until your mixture has the consistency of clay.

3. Scoop out the batter with a melon scooper or your hands and roll 4cm balls. These cake pops will form the “bunny butts.” Put the balls on the parchment paper and let sit for 20 minutes. Then cover with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for 15 minutes to become firm.

4. Place half cup of vanilla frosting in a small bowl. Microwave on half power for 15 seconds or so until slightly runny. Insert lollipop sticks in the cake pops and dip them into the frosting to coat. Dip mini marshmallows into the vanilla frosting mixture and then dip them in white sprinkles. Let bunny butts and tails cool.

5. Place about 20 white candy melts in a disposable piping bag and microwave about 20-30 seconds or until melted. Snip the end off the piping bag and pipe little feet shape onto parchment paper about 2.5 cm long by about 1.2 wide. You can also use a Ziploc bag and snip a small hole at the end if you don’t have disposable piping bags. Chill in fridge to harden.

6. Once the feet are firm, melt the pink candy melts in a disposable piping bag and pipe toes and the pads of the feet. Let set.

7. Use white candy melts to cement the bunny butts to the cupcakes. Then use the candy melts to adhere the feet. 
   My buffed baking assistants helped me demonstrate this cupcake on the Morning Show