How to Make Bunny Nest Coconut Carrot Cupcakes

Bunny Nest Coconut Carrot Cupcakes

Easter is just around the corner and these Bunny Nest Coconut Carrot Cupcakes are as yummy as they are adorable.  Miss Avalon made the fondant carrots. How cute are they? I love my smart, funny, creative kid!


If you'd like directions for the Spring Peepers Topiary, just follow the link to the post from last year.  I just got a new Wacom Bamboo Tablet and had so much fun adding some text and cartoons to this photo, see below!  And look out, because when Madge gets a new toy, she often sometimes goes completely just a little overboard.. 

Bunny Nest Coconut Carrot Cupcakes
(Makes 24 cupcakes)

Make Cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3 cups finely grated carrots
1/2 cup flake sweetened coconut
Optionally 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Mix sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs until thoroughly blended.  Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice.  Slowly add to blended ingredients beating until smooth.  Stir in carrots, coconut and nuts.  Pour into muffin cups.  Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes.

Make Frosting
1 package (80 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Wilton icing colors soft pink

Blend butter and cream cheese until creamy, add vanilla.  Gradually add powdered sugar mixing until smooth.  I added a dash of pink food coloring, just a tiny dab will do!

Make Coconut Topping
2 cups coconut
1 dash Wilton icing colors soft pink

Place coconut in plastic bag.  Add food coloring and a splash of water.  Mix until coconut is evenly colored.

Decorate Cupcakes
1 bag jelly beans
Fondant
Wilton icing colors orange and green
Coconut topping

To make carrots, mix a small amount of fondant (1 cup) with orange food coloring and a smaller amount (1/2 cup) with green food coloring.  This is potent color, so a little goes a long way!  Form carrots by hand, adding green stem to top and using butter knife to create three creases in each carrot.

Frost cupcakes and dip in coconut.  Add five colored jelly beans and one carrot to each cupcake.