My family usually keeps Easter celebrations small, so this half batch of Easter egg cupcakes is the ideal holiday dessert situation. They're made up of fluffy buttermilk cupcakes, rich and decadent chocolate frosting, and cute mini egg candies. They're seriously so easy, but they look gorgeous on the Easter dinner table!
I can't really tell if we're actually in spring, or if we're due for a snowstorm any day now. But for the time being, I'm enjoying the sunshine and feeling of spring in the air. The Bradford Pear trees have even started blooming, which... IYKYK.
With that said, it's officially time to start planning for Easter brunches and dinners! I feel like Easter is early this year, so I'm getting a head start on the recipe testing. And while I love an elaborate holiday dessert, what I love more is keeping things chill.
These cupcakes are the perfect mix of festive, simple, and delicious. The recipe is based on my small batch vanilla cupcakes, but I like to add buttermilk for an extra-tender cupcake. (Just something I learned in pastry school!)
Once the cupcakes are baked, you'll pipe some small batch chocolate buttercream or my fluffy whipped chocolate ganache on top. Finish them off with store-bought mini egg candies, and you're done. Easter dessert in the bag!
Mini eggs
We all know and love Cadbury mini eggs. I would argue they're the best holiday candy of all time. And, they make for the prettiest cupcake decoration, I seriously wait for these all year!
But sometimes they do sell out. If that happens, you can use pretty much any mini egg candy here. The Whoppers eggs, M&M eggs, the Hershey version, whatever you can find will work!
Baking directions
For super fluffy cupcakes, be sure not to over-mix the batter! You want to stir it just until the batter is well-combined and there are no more streaks of flour.
Decorating the cupcakes
I like to add the candies right before serving the cupcakes. If you refrigerate them, the shell starts to melt a little.
When it comes to small batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. Just a small amount of flour can make or break an entire recipe. But if you don't have a scale, use the fluff, spoon, & level method to measure flour, cocoa, & other dry ingredients. Here is a whole guide on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking!
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The Cutest Small Batch Easter Egg Cupcakes
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Standard cupcake pan
- Paper cupcake liners
- Piping bag with swirl tip
Ingredients
Buttermilk Cupcakes
- 80 grams all purpose flour (⅔ cup)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 60 grams unsalted butter, softened (¼ cup)
- 75 grams granulated sugar (6 Tablespoons)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 80 milliliters whole buttermilk (⅓ cup)
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil, I use avocado oil
Frosting & Decoration
- 1 batch small batch chocolate buttercream
- 18 mini egg candies, like Cadbury, more as needed
Instructions
Buttermilk Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a standard cupcake pan with 6 paper cupcake liners. Then, whisk the all purpose flour, baking powder, and Kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer with beaters, cream the butter and sugar until it's very light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula halfway through to ensure everything is well-mixed. Then, mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is about 75% combined. Then, add the buttermilk and neutral oil. Mix just until the batter comes together. Don't over-mix or the cupcakes will come out dense and dry!
- Using a cupcake scoop, evenly divide the batter between the cupcake liners. They should be about ⅔rds full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 16-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting & Decoration
- Fit a piping bag with a large swirl tip. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the chocolate buttercream to the piping bag.
- Pipe the cooled cupcakes with the chocolate frosting in a nest shape. Don't pipe the buttercream too high! You want it to be fairly level so the frosting looks like bird's nests.
- Right before serving, gently press 3 mini egg candies in the center of each chocolate buttercream nest. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!