April 2, 2015
Easter Nest Cupcakes!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details!*
Easy Vanilla Cupcakes with all the Easy Easter Decoration. The Perfect Easter Nest Cupcakes!
Easter is probably high up on one of my favourite times of the year – the amount of hot cross buns that can be eaten without looking foolish, all the chocolate, and of course – Mini Eggs. I realised I hadn’t put up a simple vanilla cupcake recipe and felt bad because of – its one of the most important recipes in someones book!
I use this recipe for all of my basic cupcakes – Ive based it on many years of baking vanilla cupcakes but I realise that at the end of the day, nearly all vanilla cupcake recipes will be similar! So use this recipe if all you are after is a deliciously soft and flavourful vanilla cupcake – or you want to have some Easter Fun!
I wanted this recipe to be something that was really fun yet still easy to do. I’ve made this recipe several times since I posted it back in 2015, so nearly THREE YEARS AGO now (Blimey time flies) and I just love it so much still. I don’t get bored of these cupcakes at Easter time because people of all ages love them far too much.
I’ve made them so many times that I really have perfected the recipe, and I’m not blowing my own trumpet but they’re SO GOOD. The cupcakes themselves are just a simple vanilla cupcake, and then the buttercream is a mix of vanilla (the green grass parts) and chocolate with the nest parts! Then of course, you have the ‘eggs’ with MINI EGGS YAY.
I thought I would use my absolute favourite Cupcake Cases from Iced Jems (Affiliate link) because they really are the best things ever. I know its not that easy maybe to buy cupcake cases online, but these Baking Cups really are the best things. I sound like I am just going on about them, but I only use them now. I don’t use any other type of Cupcake Case because I just downright prefer the baking cups. You can fit more on a tray because they stand alone, and even that is easier.
I thought going for the pale pink polka dot ones would be best out of the selection I currently have, and I am so glad I chose them as they’re a lovely pastel colour. Pastel Colours are one of my favourite thinks about Easter, and you know… Mini Eggs are pastel coloured. So, yes.
I realise these cupcakes look a little faffy, but honestly they’re not! I used to make the ‘nest’ part of it with a different piping tip, but honestly using the Medium Hair/Grass Piping Tip works SO well for the grass and also the nest! You could go the whole hog and then use the tip for the grass, but make an actual nest using Shredded Wheat like I do in my Easter Nest Cheesecakes, because that would be delicious as well, but I was in the mood for a buttercream style cupcake.
I only use a regular amount of buttercream for this recipe even though it seems like the decoration is more, but its honestly not. You have to make sure that the buttercream is smooth enough to cope with going through the abnormally small holes of the piping tips, but thats easy enough with a bit of boiling water! The best way to smooth out the buttercream is boiling water, so add a tablespoon at a time and beat in-between and you will get the dreamiest of buttercream!
Its best to use a higher quality food colouring in your bakes in general, compared to supermarket ones. For this I used the Green Progel colouring which you can buy online or in Hobby Craft, and I used the SMALLEST amount ever and got this vibrant colour. Because you are using such a small amount it means that it doesn’t affect the taste or quality of the buttercream which is important!
Yeah they’re a bit faffy, but after my Easter Chocolate Cake they’re a good showstopper for Easter Time – Enjoy! X
Easter Nest Cupcakes!
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 175 g Unsalted Butter/Stork
- 175 g Caster Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs
- 175 g Self Raising Flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Buttercream Ingredients
- 150 g Unsalted Butter (Room temp)
- 300 g Icing Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1-3 tbsp Boiling Water
- Green Food Colouring
- Mini Eggs
- 50 g Cocoa Powder
Instructions
For the Cupcakes!
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160 Fan and line a tray with Baking cases.
- Mix together all of the cupcake ingredients on a medium speed (I use my KitchenAid, any electric mixer will do!) until mixed through together thoroughly – try not to mix more than necessary!
- Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases (just over half full) and bake in the oven for 17-20 minutes until slightly golden on top and a skewer poked into one of them comes out clean.
- Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tray for about 5 minutes and then remove and leave to cool fully on a wire rack.
For the Buttercream!
- Mix the butter on its own for a few minutes to loosen it fully and then gradually start to mix in the icing sugar and vanilla – this is messy so be careful it doesn’t splash at you!
- Mix the buttercream for about 5 minutes so its super fluffy, if you feel its too stiff to pipe then put in enough milk to lighten it!
For the Decoration!
- Split the Buttercream into two. Add some green food colouring to one half and mix well, and add the cocoa powder to the other half and mix well.
- Using the #233 (grass and hair nozzle) piping tip fill one of the piping bags with the green icing – pipe the green icing around the edge of the cupcakes. If you press down and lift up it will give it a grass effect!
- Using the #233 (grass and hair nozzle) piping tip again, fill the second piping bag with the brown icing and pipe a little nest around the middle of the cupcake – fill with 2-3 mini eggs, and some micro eggs!
Notes
- I used a Medium Hair/Grass Piping Tip for this recipe. I also used some Pink Spotty Baking Cups from Iced Jems for the baking cases! They're fantastic because you can place them on a flat tray, no need to worry about muffin trays! (Affiliate links)
- I played on the idea of the Easter Nest Cupcakes from Inspiration all over the internet!
- These cupcakes will last 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature!
- You could easily use any Easter Egg type treat to decorate the Cupcakes such as Creme Eggs, Golden Eggs, and more!
ENJOY!
Find my other Cupcake & Easter Recipes on my Recipes Page!
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J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Hi Jane,
What Green Food Colouring do you use?
I use wilton, sugar flair, pro gel or colour splash!
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Cupcakes are so cute…nice idea…could use it on my site “fancifulcupcakes” if I may. Hope you’ll visit..:))
I think these may be the best easter egg nest cupcakes I’ve ever seen – I’m gutted to have missed Easter this year and will have to wait to make these!
Awwh thank you so much!! <3 My idea wasn't original, but I tried my best with the inspiration of pinterest!!
Easter is one of my favorite times too 🙂 love your cupcakes, such a fun way to decorate them! Xx
Thank youuu!! 🙂 xx
Wow! So beautiful! What detail!! Are you framing one? ?
Thank you! And damn it, I knew there was something I had forgotten to do.. I ate them all too quick ?
Haha! Next time… ?
Definitely!
Wow!! Such cute looking cupcakes and I m sure great tasting as well! Your blog looks super delicious. Thanx for stopping by my blog. Happy Easter !!
Thank you so much!! That means a lot to me 🙂 and its okay, I loved your post! Happy Easter to you too! x
Yum!! Love looking at your recipes for inspo, don’t stop blogging 🙂
Aww thank you so much!! That gives me confidence to keep going 🙂 x
They are so cute. Happy Easter!
Thank you!! 🙂 and to you too!
These are so cute! I can’t agree more as a baker there are so many recipes out there but a good vanilla and chocolate one can take many tries. Many would think these are the easy recipes! Anyway, adorable and perfect timing I needed a new cute Easter cupcake! Thank you!
Exactly, sometimes the simpler things are harder because you can’t hide! And thank you!!
So cute, who could resist those. And I love mini eggs.
Thank you! They’re my favourite easter treat 🙂 x
So lovely Jane, Happy Easter!
Thank you so much! And happy Easter to you too!
These look fantastic! Love!
Thank you so much!! 🙂 x
Those are sooo cute!
Thank you so much!! 😀
Have a great Easter!
You too!!! x