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Yields:
18
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Easter desserts are some of the cutest to make, and these little chick cupcakes are so fun! Make homemade vanilla cupcakes with our recipe, or save some time and use your favorite boxed cake mix. You can always make chocolate cupcakes or whatever your favorite flavor is instead! These are simple enough for kids to help decorate, but cute enough to still be the star of Easter dinner. For the best look, find a super-fine sanding sugar. Coarsely ground will work, but the finer sanding sugars will coat the tops of your cupcakes more smoothly and look like a fluffy chick!
Have you made these? Let us know how yours turned out in the comments below!
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Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups
(300 g.) granulated sugar
- 1 cup
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3
large eggs
- 2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups
(240 g.) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp.
cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp.
baking powder
- 1 tsp.
kosher salt
- 3/4 cup
whole milk
Buttercream & Assembly
- 3 cups
(340 g.) powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup
(1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp.
heavy cream
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup
yellow sanding sugar
- 36
chocolate chips
Orange food coloring, for decorating
Directions
Cupcakes
- Step 1Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with liners. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer (or in the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
- Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add half of dry ingredients to butter mixture and beat until just combined. Add milk and beat until incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
- Step 3Fill 18 liners three-quarters full with batter. Bake cupcakes until slightly golden on top and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.
Buttercream & Assembly
- Step 1In a large bowl, using handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat powdered sugar and butter until smooth. Add cream and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
- Step 2Pour sanding sugar into a shallow dish. Frost tops of cooled cupcakes with buttercream and smooth to a flat top. Dip into sanding sugar to coat top.
- Step 3Place 2 chocolate chips into cupcakes, flat side up, to create eyes.
- Step 4Transfer a little buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a small white dot onto each chocolate chip.
- Step 5Add about half of remaining buttercream to another piping bag fitted with a small leaf tip. Pipe a zigzag line on each side of cupcakes to create wings. Sprinkle with more sanding sugar.
- Step 6Add orange food coloring to remaining buttercream and stir until desired color is reached. Transfer to another piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a small upside-down triangle under chocolate chips to create a beak. Pipe short lines to create feet at bottom of cupcake.
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