Easter Bunny Carrot Cupcakes (Printer View)

Moist spiced carrot cupcakes topped with creamy frosting and charming bunny decorations.

# What you'll need:

→ Cupcake Batter

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
11 - 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
14 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

15 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

20 - 24 large marshmallows for ears
21 - Pink sanding sugar or edible pink glitter
22 - 12 mini marshmallows for bunny tails
23 - 24 candy eyes
24 - 12 pink candy-coated chocolates for noses

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Fold grated carrots and walnuts or pecans into batter if using.
06 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until fluffy and smooth.
09 - Apply frosting generously to each cooled cupcake.
10 - Cut each large marshmallow diagonally. Dip sticky side into pink sanding sugar to coat the inner ear surface.
11 - Press two sugared marshmallow ears onto each cupcake. Add candy eyes, one pink candy nose, and one mini marshmallow tail to complete the bunny decoration.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cupcakes stay incredibly moist because of the applesauce and grated carrots, so even a day later they're still tender and delicious.
  • Decorating them feels like playtime in the kitchen rather than tedious work, especially if you have little hands helping.
  • Cream cheese frosting is the real hero here—tangy enough to balance the sweetness, creamy enough to make frosting feel indulgent.
02 -
  • If your carrots are very wet from grating, squeeze them gently in a clean kitchen towel first; excess moisture will make the batter gloppy and the cupcakes dense instead of tender.
  • Cream cheese frosting needs to be at the right temperature to work—too warm and it's sauce, too cold and it's impossible to spread. Room temperature cream cheese and butter make all the difference.
03 -
  • Don't skip the 5-minute cooling time in the pan—it's when the cupcakes firm up enough to release from the liners without splitting.
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and trap air better, so take your cream cheese and butter out about 30 minutes before frosting.
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