Easter Cupcakes Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/16/22
easter cupcake

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
572 Calories
26g Fat
80g Carbs
7g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 572
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 14g 72%
Cholesterol 88mg 29%
Sodium 352mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 80g 29%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 57g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 136mg 10%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 216mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

These little bird nest cupcakes are perfectly cute for an Easter (or Mother's Day) brunch. They’re so easy to make, but they look like they came from a professional bakery. All you need is your favorite cupcake (we included a recipe for a delicious lemon-vanilla cake), some cream cheese frosting, toasted coconut, and Easter egg candy. You can make these as homemade or as semi-homemade as you wish using cake mix, store-bought cupcakes, and/or canned frosting.

The flavors for this recipe are similar to a classic coconut cake. Alternatively, you can use chocolate shavings for the “nest” if you don’t like coconut.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 teaspoons lemon peel, grated

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 cups cake flour

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 pound cream cheese frosting

  • 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

  • 1 (8-ounce) bag chocolate Easter egg candy

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    easter cupcake ingredients
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  2. Beat the butter with the whisk attachment of your stand mixer for about 3 minutes to soften. If it’s room temperature, this will take less time. You can also use a large bowl and a hand mixer. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

    Whipped butter in a bowl
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  3. Scrape down the sides of your bowl. Add the lemon peel and vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

    Butter mixed with eggs in a bowl
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  4. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.

    Dry ingredients sifted together in a bowl
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  5. Add it to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides in between. 

    Easter cupcake batter in a bowl
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  6. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill to 2/3 full with the batter. Depending on the size of your cupcake tins you may be able to make more than 12.

    Unbaked cupcakes in pan
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and the center comes out clean when pricked with a toothpick. 

    Baked cupcakes in pan
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  8. Allow the cupcakes to cool. Assemble your frosting ingredients. 

    Frosting and decorating ingredients
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  9. Toast the coconut by placing the shreds in a large heavy-bottomed skillet. Heat on medium-high heat, shaking the pan or stirring frequently until the coconut is golden brown. Make sure to watch it closely so it does not burn. Turn the heat down if you need to.

    Toasted coconut in a pan
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  10. Frost each cooled cupcake using a pastry bag or just a knife. It doesn't have to be perfect, since the frosting will be covered in the toasted coconut. 

    Frosted cupcakes
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  11. Dip the frosted cupcakes into the toasted coconut. Top with more as needed and press to make them stick into the frosting.

    Cupcakes dipping into coconut
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  12. Place a bit of frosting at the bottom of each piece of candy. Assemble three eggs into the center of each nest.

    Chocolate eggs added to cupcakes
     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  13. Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe Variations

  • Change up the kind of cupcake for this recipe! You can use a carrot cake recipe or you can leave out the lemon and go for plain vanilla. You can even do a chocolate cupcake.