Easter Bunny Surprise Cupcakes

French Vanilla Bunny Bottom Cupcakes with a sweet candy surprise! A small chocolate egg and festive sprinkles inside. #easter #wmtmoms   

Spring is in the air and has been for quite some time here in North Texas!!! We've had such an unseasonably warm winter that I can't help but to get excited when springtime rolls around. It really is one of my favorite times of year, the warmer weather, chirping birds, blooming flowers, piddling in the garden, and Easter! 

I know Easter is still about a month away, but it's March, so I think I can officially start posting Easter treats!! I just can't help myself, I'm a sucker when it comes to holidays. I have such fond memories growing up and spending Easter with my siblings. My brother and I would look so forward to our Easter baskets and hunting for eggs. 

Now that I have my own family Easter is just as special with my children. When my kids were small I always planned a big Easter Scavenger and Egg hunt. My daughter was always so excited to get a new Easter dress and a holiday dinner always followed with a festive dessert. 

My kids are now 22, 16 and 12, so not so little anymore :( Just because they're older doesn't mean we can't celebrate. I still make Easter baskets for my kids, but now they're filled with more age appropriate items. 

We have our annual family Easter dinner (always ham) with our favorite sides and I bake a special Easter dessert. With Easter just around the corner, I thought a special cupcake treat would be perfect to celebrate the Easter holiday. Not just any cupcake, but these cute Easter Bunny Surprise Cupcakes!!! 

These cupcakes are perfect for little ones because they have a candy surprise inside, but this is also a fun family food craft for older kids. You don't need any fancy items to make these adorable cupcakes. I picked up all the ingredients and supplies needed at my local Walmart.  

These cupcakes look complicated to make, but they're really simple. To fill the cupcakes with candy just hollow out a hole in the middle of the baked cupcake, using a knife or melon baller (about half way down), and fill with candy and sprinkles. Make sure to let everyone know that when they bite into these delicious cupcakes, they will get a candy surprise inside. 

I chose Hershey's Chocolate Eggs for my candy filling, but Cadbury Mini Eggs can also be used. There's a variety of holiday sprinkles, so just choose your favorite. To make things a little easier as well as affordable I picked up a Wilton Cupcake Decorating Kit priced at $3.79 in the holiday baking isle. 

Each kit comes with Easter cupcake liners, Bunny Bottom cupcake toppers and carrot shaped candy sprinkles. By purchasing the cupcake decorating kit it kept me from purchasing each item individually. Let's get started with the step-by-step instructions (full recipe is at the end of the post).       

Ingredients Needed for cupcakes: one french vanilla, yellow cake or white cake mix + oil, butter, eggs, and water called for on boxed mix (I always add one extra egg than called for, and substitute milk for the amount of water called for on box mix). + Vanilla or butter extract,. 

Candy Filling: Hershey chocolate eggs or Cadbury mini eggs, and Easter sprinkles. 

For the Frosting: One 3 ounce package white chocolate instant pudding, coconut oil, shortening or all butter, powdered sugar, milk, sweetened coconut (optional), icing paste, Easter cupcake toppers and cupcake liners.   

To start, bake the cupcakes and let them cool completely before filling with candy and adding the frosting.  When the cupcakes are cool, hollow out a hole in the middle of each cupcake, using a melon baller or a knife. Fill each cupcake with Easter sprinkles and one chocolate Hershey candy egg.  

Prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl add the dry pudding mix and 1/2 cup milk. Mix together using a whisk. Set aside until thick (about 2-3 minutes). In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a kitchen aid mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter and coconut oil or shortening together (all butter can be used) until creamy. 

Add the thickened pudding and mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar and blend again. Add additional milk 1 tablespoon as a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Fill pastry bag with frosting and pipe on cupcakes (I used the star tip). 

To tint the coconut add 1/2 cup coconut to a small zip lock bag. Add a tiny bit of pink icing paste and seal the bag. Shake and blend with your fingers until combined and the coconut is tinted. 

Sprinkle tinted coconut onto each cupcake over the frosting or use holiday sprinkles. Add a bunny bottom cupcake topper on on each cupcake and serve. 

Celebrate Easter with Recipes, Crafts, Decorations and Party Ideas from Walmart.