Carrot Cupcakes for Easter

Festive cupcakes are ideal to serve at an Easter garden party or to take to a school function. This selection of fun recipe ideas is quick and easy to make. Everything can be prepared ahead of time, and children love to help with the decorating.

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 package carrot cake mix
1 can cream cheese frosting
Cocoa powder
Chocolate cookie crumbs for dirt
Extra long fancy coconut for stems
Green and orange paste food colouring

Prepare cupcakes as directed on package.

Tint coconut with green food colouring and let dry on paper towelling.

Take 125 ml (1/2 cup) frosting and tint with a few drops of orange colouring for carrots. Cover and set aside. With the rest of the frosting, ice cupcakes and dip in chocolate cookie crumbs to coat the top. Transfer the orange frosting to a pastry bag with a large round tip and pipe a carrot shape in the centre of each cupcake. Add green tinted coconut for the stems. Voila!

Variations:

Candy egg nest: Mix 175 ml (3/4 cup) of long fancy coconut with 50 ml (1/4 cup) melted milk chocolate. Using a teaspoon, form little round bird’s nests on wax paper and leave to dry. Just before completely dry, add small round jelly candies in the centre. Once completely dry, place a nest on top of each frosted cupcake.

Chocolate bunnies: Mix 125 ml (1/2 cup) fine coconut with a few drops of green food colouring. Set aside to dry. Dip the frosted cupcake in the green coconut (grass) and place a chocolate Lindt bunny on top.

White chocolate butterflies: Melt 250 ml (1 cup) of white chocolate melts, pour onto wax paper tray and smooth out the top. Using toothpicks, swirl assorted food colourings in the chocolate to make patterns. Just before the chocolate completely sets, sprinkle on edible glitter and cut out butterfly shapes with a small cutter. Place butterflies on top of pastel frosted cupcakes or cupcakes dipped in green-coloured fine coconut.

Tip: Make sure the butterfly shape is not too intricate as the chocolate may break when being removed from the cutter. To prevent breaking, place on a smooth surface and push evenly on the chocolate to remove it from the cutter.