These Easter Cupcakes look and taste like spring! A light lemon cupcake is topped with a grass nest with Easter egg. These cupcakes are perfect for any Easter or Spring party.
If you love a fun Easter dessert, you also should try these Easter Cookies or these Easter Egg Marshmallow Creme Truffles. Or anything lemon, because it always makes me think of spring!
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Spring is one of the best times of the year. Fresh blooms sprouting from the ground and from the trees, the smell of spring in the air, the warmer temperatures that beg you to stay outside a little longer. It makes me happy just thinking about it.
It also makes me happy thinking about these Easter cupcakes. If you want a cupcake that people will go crazy for, all you need is some chocolate eggs and cute decorations. I took these to a family dinner and these Easter cupcakes disappeared even before the chocolate cupcakes!
I’m not going to lie – they do take a little bit of time to decorate. And my forearm was definitely tired by the time they were finished. But I also think they were worth the work, and have got to be my favorite Easter Cupcakes!
The Lemon Cupcakes
While the star of the show is the decoration on these cupcakes, don’t underestimate the actual cupcakes.
Of course, you could always go easy and make a box mix, but trust me – these cupcakes are super simple to make and totally worth making from scratch!
All of the ingredients should be pantry staples, except for the buttermilk and the lemon extract. The buttermilk is important to keep the cupcakes moist and soft, and the lemon extract gives the cupcakes their lemon flavor.
You can always make these vanilla by adding vanilla extract instead of lemon extract, but I think the lemon flavor fits perfectly for a spring cupcake.
How to Decorate Easter Cupcakes
To make the grass on top of these cupcakes, you will need a special piping tip. Mine is a #233 from Wilton – I’m sure other brands also make these same multi-opening tips.
For your buttercream, consistency is going to matter. You don’t want it so thick that it is too hard to pipe, but you don’t want it so soft that the individual “grass” blades all run together. You can always test one, and re-adjust your buttercream as needed.
I usually use a gel paste to color my frosting, but I just used regular liquid drops this time. Both will work, but gel will usually give you a more intense color.
To pipe the grass onto the cupcakes:
- Fit your piping bag with the decorating tip and fill the bag with your buttercream.
- Starting at the middle of the cupcake, place the tip on the cupcake, squeeze the bag, then release while quickly pulling up, creating 1/4″ blades. Work your way out from the center, filling in the top of the cupcake. All of the grass blades don’t have to be the same length. I like to make some longer than others.
- It’s fairly easy to go in and fill in any bare or thin spots as well. Or place the eggs over any bare spots to cover them up!
More Easter Recipes
Hot Cross Buns
Easter Basket Scotcheroos
Carrot Cake Cookies
The Best Deviled Egg Recipe
Creamy Baked Asparagus
Lemon Loaf
Bunny Bait
Easter Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 2 cups buttermilk
Buttercream:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Green food coloring
- Candy eggs
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 36 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and the butter together on medium speed until combine. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add lemon extract and beat to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture. When it’s almost mixed in, add half of the buttermilk, followed by an additional 1/3 of the flour, and then the final buttermilk. Add the last of the flour mixture then continue to beat just until it is blended.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake until a tester inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes back with just a few crumbs, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the buttercream:
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add 3 cups of the powdered sugar and beat to combine. Continue to add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at at time.
- When all of the powdered sugar has been added, add in 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and a pinch of salt. Continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding more cream if desired. Tint with the green food coloring.
To assemble:
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a small, multi-opening tip (I use this one). Starting at the top and moving out, pipe the grass onto the cupcakes – place the tip on the cupcake, squeeze the bag, then release while pulling up to form blades of grass. Try to make different lengths of grass.
- Top each cupcake with a few candy eggs.
jhondoe says
this is super good
Bettina says
All you can taste is butter. A cup is too much
Lani Jackson says
i love it
Jill says
Looking forward to trying out your recipe! I noticed that it doesn’t say when to add the last third of the flour mixture. I just mixed it in at the end. Did you mean to say add 1/2 and then 1/2 more?
Deborah says
Oops – that was a typo! It should have had to add the last 1/3 of the flour at the end. The recipe has been updated.
Jennifer Hobson says
Wow! Looks delicious. I loved to eat this recipe. Thanks for sharing this such a nice informative post.
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) says
Oh these are adorable. Love the new look
Monet says
Oh these are just beautiful! Thank you for sharing your sweet treat tonight. I hope that the end of your week is full of peace and joy. Your words make me smile, week after week!
teresa says
these are just gorgeous!
Jenna says
These look so cute! I want to make them.
Katrina says
Eeeee! These are adorable. I love the “grass”!
Beth says
Your cupcakes are adorable! Looking forward to check out your other post!
Joanne says
Deborah these are the most ADORABLE things! Off to go check them out!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says
Deborah..omg your blog makeover is the most beautiful thing ever!
Simply stunning!! WOW! Amazing transformation…from blogger to self hosted WP. I did that too about 3 mos ago…after 2+ yrs, it was TIME! Major PITA but worth it!