These easy vanilla Easter cupcakes are fluffy and super fun to make! They have a simple vanilla cake base and are topped with a buttercream frosting, toasted coconut and pretty pastel coloured chocolate candy. Even the Easter bunny would approve!
Hi friends!
If you are looking for a fun Easter dessert idea, this is it!
I’m stopping in today to bring you vanilla cupcakes, specifically Easter cupcakes.
With a fluffy vanilla cupcakes base, a simple buttercream, toasted coconut and lots of those Easter candy that a lot of us enjoy, what’s not to love?
For the recipe, I used generic “mini egg” candy cause that’s what I came across at the grocery and that’s what was on sale. Man, they taste good though. Are you a fan?
Looking for another fun Easter treat? Check out these carrot cake donuts!
Easter Traditions
I don’t have any strong Easter traditions nowadays. Growing up, though, I always remember my grandparents giving my brother and I these hollow chocolate Easter eggs with our names written on them in icing sugar.
I remember you could get them at the mall. Unfortunately, I don’t recall seeing them in recent years, but they were such a big part of our childhood.
I asked hubby about his Easter traditions growing up and he said it was always a big deal, especially when he was a kid.
His mother would make, like, a hundred ‘Easter buns’ (probably not that many, but as a kid everything is exaggerated, am I right?).
He said that him and his sister were not allowed to put their little hands on them until guests arrived. They were, however, allowed to have the duds … those that weren’t just perfect. Sounds like something I’d do now, LOL.
How To Make Vanilla Cupcakes
The base of these vanilla Easter cupcakes are super simple to whip up. And it’s probably ingredients you have on hand so what are ya waiting for?
I put gel food colouring in the buttercream, but that’s totally optional. The key to frosting, is to wait until they are completely cooled. Otherwise, you will end up with a hot mess of melted butter and who wants that? I mean, unless you are eating lobster or something.
So, to make cupcakes you simply:
- Mix together the flour and other dry ingredients for the vanilla cupcake base. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together butter and sugar.
- Add eggs, one at a time. Blend in vanilla extract.
- To butter mixture, add half of the dry ingredients. Then, half of the milk. Repeat.
- Spray cupcake liners with baking spray, divide cupcake batter among liners and bake.
- Let cool completely before icing and adding coconut and Easter candy.
- Enjoy! (Full details are in the recipe card below.)
Look how fluffy these babies are? I heard recently this thing where a lot of people don’t like to use the word ‘moist’ and I had no idea. Personally, I have no aversion to it, but am so aware of it when using to describe food. If I were to use it, it would totally be applicable here!
Tell me below what are some Easter traditions of yours, either growing up or now. Do you have any fun Easter recipe ideas? I’d love to hear.
Whatever your weekend involves, I hope it includes these delicious Easter cupcakes!
If you make these Easter cupcakes, be sure to leave a comment below!
Easter Cupcakes
Ingredients
Easter Cupcakes
- Baking spray, to grease cupcake liners
- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk, I used 2% milk fat
Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk, I used 2% milk fat
- yellow gel food colouring, optional (use enough to reach desired colour)
Garnish
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted (if desired)
- Easter candy, mini eggs or similar (about 3 per cupcake, so 36 in total)
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cupcake liners in a 12-count muffin pan. spray with baking spray and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a mixing bowl with a hand mixer), blend (on medium-high speed) sugar and butter until smooth, about 2 minutes (stop to scrape the sides of the bowl, as necessary, with a rubber spatula).
- Reduce speed and add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Then blend in vanilla extract.
- To butter mixture, add about half of the reserved flour mixture and half of the milk and blend. Repeat with remaining flour and milk until blending, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Distribute batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each liner about ⅔ full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 5 to 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
- Once the cupcakes are cook, make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a mixing bowl with a hand mixer), blend (start out on medium speed and increase to medium-high speed) butter with one cup of icing sugar. Add additional cup of icing sugar and blend again. Add vanilla extract and milk and blend until smooth and fluffy.
Frost the Cupcakes
- Spoon (or pipe) frosting over top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and top with candy (about 3 per cupcake). Serve and enjoy!
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Shashi at SavorySpin
Haha – Dawn, you sure are right, everything is exaggerated from a kids point of view! My daughter is 19 (not a kid she tells me0 but, when she has to take the dogs out to do their business, she will say “it took 8 years for them to go tinkle” – so dramatic eh!? 🙂
Speaking of dramatic – wow – these cupcakes look so good and such the centerpiece – I’m thinking I need to go to the store to get me some Easter candy to make these!
Happy Wednesday Dawn – hoping our week has been wonderful so far!
Neha
Must say, these are one of the most cute cupcakes that I have seen whole day. Such a great share!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
Those are beautiful little cupcakes! I love the little “nests” on top. They are yummy little nest too! This is the first year we didn’t spend Easter with our extended families. We took a spring break trip so it was just our family. I still broke out the Easter candy, but no big baking for us this year.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
These look so soft and fluffy!!! I want to put mini eggs in everything – they’re so good. Your husband’s Mom is totally me! My poor family always has to eat the duds but they aren’t allowed to touch the pretty things until later, haha. Hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend, Dawn! XO
Girl Heart Food
Me toooooo! Haha – too funny!! We sure did…hope you did as well, Katherine! Thank you! XO
Ben|Havocinthekitchen
We don’t have any Easter traditions either (When I was a kid…LOOONG time ago, my mom would bake some Easter bread, and we’d dye eggs – nothing like this now). But I won’t mind some of these cupcakes topped with coconut and easter candy. Approved by the Easter Bunny and Ben 🙂
Girl Heart Food
I know…seems like there’s a lot more to Easter activities now than when I was a kid. Haha – happy to hear it 😉 Thanks Ben!
Marissa
Love that inside shot of the texture, Dawn. You nailed it – fluffy cupcake perfection!
I have to fess up – I have a slew of words that I’m not crazy about when describing food and moist is one of them. 😉 But sometimes there is just no better word to describe something!
Girl Heart Food
Yay! Thanks Marissa!! You’re so sweet! So true about ‘moist’. I’d love to hear what other words you don’t like to use when describing food…I have a few others too 😉
Milena
You go right ahead and say that these are moist if they are. Because that means delicious, mouthfeel is so important to me. Fluffy can be dry at the same time and that is not cool😜My son would be all over these pretty cupcakes. Poor kid had a stomach virus episode this past weekend and has not eaten anythting. Will surprise him with a late Easter treat this week. Plus, I was raised Orthodox and the Orthodox Easter is this coming weekend 😉 With the roast lamb and all..
Girl Heart Food
Hahaha…thanks Milena 😉 Sorry to hear about your son – hope he feels a-ok soon!! You certainly have lots to look forward to this weekend…love lamb!
[email protected]
This is the sweetest cupcake! Nothing like a pretty little dessert to put you right in the mood….for nibbling!! Hope your holiday was wonderful! XOXO
David @ Spiced
Haha! I totally know what you mean about making recipes and then being like “oh wait, I need to post these ASAP if folks are actually going to make this for the holiday.” Laura is getting used to me making stuff a good month before the holiday in question now. Oh well. The life of a food blogger, right? 🙂 Also, cupcakes. You can’t go wrong with a classic cupcake, and these look delicious, Dawn! I love the toasted coconut on top. Are there any leftovers?? Haha!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
So pretty and such a great way to use up Easter candy!
Girl Heart Food
Thank you Jennifer 🙂 Hope you had a lovely weekend!
Andrea Peddle
Hi Dawn. Funny you mention those Easter Eggs that you write your name on…I found some at Piper’s the other day. Unfortunately there wasn’t anyone there to write the names on them. Too bad. My favourite Easter tradition was from when we were little, we’d go to my aunt’s house on Easter Monday for a big Easter party. It was the best!
Girl Heart Food
Hi Andrea! Piper’s? I’ll have to check that out….for nostalgia purposes at all 😉 Sounds like a lovely tradition 🙂 Happy Easter to ya!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Hahaha! I don’t have an aversion to the word moist either but I always hesitate to use it when I’m describing food because I know so many people don’t like it. Sometimes it’s just necessary though! These cupcakes look perfect for tomorrow. Happy Easter!
Girl Heart Food
Glad I’m not the only one 😉 Thank you Kelsie! Happy Easter!
Thao @ In Good Flavor
I don’t get it either, but I have no problem with moist. I think these cupcakes look yummy and perfectly moist 🙂 My favorite Easter tradition is the one we had with our kids. Some friends of ours used to throw a huge Eater party and egg hunt every year and had as much as 100 guests. We always look forward to that! Happy Easter!!
Girl Heart Food
That’s so awesome! And a lot of people! Sounds like a lot of fun! Enjoy Thao and happy Easter to ya 🙂
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I totally remember those hollow eggs with our names written in icing! I hadn’t thought of those in years. That’s a flashback! My request of the Easter bunny was always a crispy bunny. Now, I’m all about the peanut butter and chocolate, and it’s usually a homemade treat! As for using the word ‘moist’ as a description, I still do it all the time. Seems totally appropriate for these cupcakes! Happy Easter Dawn!
Girl Heart Food
Haha, right?! Oh, the crispy bunny is yummy too! I always liked to pick the candy eyes off first, lol. Thanks Leanne! Happy Easter 🙂
Kevin O'Leary
I love the fluffiness of the cupcakes! And the coconut is a great touch. Have a great Easter!
Girl Heart Food
Thanks Kevin! Happy Easter 🙂