Easter Basket Cupcakes

Of all the cupcakes I have ever made, design wise, these might be my favorite.   Yet they were very simple to create.

Here is what you need....

A great cake recipe, buttercream icing, cake wrappers (green, white or easter print), green food coloring, a decorating bag, Wilton tip 223, a coupler, cake basket wraps, and malted eggs.

The cupcake baskets are the key here.  I have seen them around Easter time at Michaels, the Christmas Tree Store, and AC Moore.  But if you can't find them there then you can buy them here.... 

Amazon.com: Wilton Basket Cupcake Wrapping Kit: Kitchen & Dining

First make the cupcakes using cupcake wrappers.   I would use green or white cupcake wrappers or if you want you can use Easter cupcake wrappers.   I recommend yellow or vanilla cake, but they can be chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter.  Make your own recipe or use a box mix.  Doesn't matter, this is all about the decorating.  While the cupcakes are baking assemble your baskets, leaving off the handles.   Once the cupcake is completely cooled, drop it into the baskets before icing them.

Then make your buttercream icing.   Use your favorite recipe or use mine.   I happen to think I have the BEST buttercream icing recipe.   But it doesn't matter as long as you have icing that tastes good.  Don't use canned icing though, I don't think you will get a good grass look.   Once you make the icing, tint it green.  Since your making only one color you can tint it right in your mixer and make the whole batch green, ensuring your cupcakes have the same color throughout the batch.   Everyone has their own preference in icing colors, but I prefer Wiltons.  For the grass I used leaf green, adding a little color until it was the color of grass.   A tip for beginners, use a toothpick to add the color to your batter.  But don't stick a toothpick that has been in the batter back into the color. It will contaminate the color.  Every time you add color use a new toothpick.

Now that you have your green icing your ready to pipe it onto the cupcake.    Scoop the buttercream icing into your decorating bag already fitted with the grass tip, Wilton Tip 223.  Pipe grass onto the top of each cupcake.   This is pretty easy, you hold the bag to the top of the cupcake and gently release as you pull the bag up, forming grass blades.  Make some grass longer and others shorter.  Grass shouldn't be perfectly even.   

Carefully assemble the handles of cupcake baskets, being careful not to wreck the grass.   

Now add the malted eggs.  There are now so many choices for the eggs.   Even M&Ms now makes an egg shaped candy.   But I prefer using Robbin Eggs from Whoppers.  They are multiple colors and have the speckled look of a real Robbins Egg, making for a very pretty cupcake.

Thats it, your done, take them to your Easter gathering and the kids will go crazy over these beautiful cupcakes!