Baby Bunnies! In Mini Cupcake Form. Enough Said!

 

I’ve been seeing a lot of bunny type cupcakes on some of the cupcake and cake FB groups that I belong to, and I decided I’d like to make up my own version of them. So yesterday I whipped up 40 of these babies to send to work with the DH this morning.

The recipe is a modification of one that a number of cupcake bakers use, at least according to the afore-mentioned FB groups, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t change up a whole bunch of things, just because. Like the lack of eggs. And the presence of ground flax seed. But there’s a connection! I was planning on making these cupcakes for a while, but last night at the 11th hour (technically at the 10th hour, as it was 10 pm), I realized I was out of eggs. However, I have a huuuuge amount of flax seeds just sitting in my fridge (I bought an even huuuuuuger amount from a bakery outlet a while back), so…a flax seed egg it was, or rather two flax seed eggs!

HOW TO MAKE A FLAX SEED EGG (replaces raw egg)

One makes a flax seed egg by mixing a tbsp. of ground flax with 3 tbsp. of water and letting it sit for 10 minutes until the mixture gets all gummy and gooey and takes on a raw egg white texture. It’s basically working as a binder, and it will definitely make your ingredients stick together.

HOW TO MAKE SOUR MILK (replaces buttermilk)

I also made up some sour milk to replace the buttermilk called for in the recipe. I just added a large splash of vinegar (about a 1/2 tsbp.) to a half cup of milk and let it sit for 10 minutes, until chunky. Deeeelicious! (Not really, but good for baking.)

But enough with the chitter-chatter, on to the recipe!

VANILLA COCONUT MINI BUNNY CUPCAKES

You will need:

• 1 batch vanilla cupcake batter
• 1 batch vanilla buttercream frosting
• 1/2 c. shredded coconut
• 40 baby marshmallows
• 1/2 c. pink sanding sugar (you can make your own using my recipe here)

Make the Vanilla Cupcakes:

(adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen)

• 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 flax seed eggs (see recipe above)
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1/2 sour milk (see recipe above)
• 1/2 c. water

Mix everything together until just mixed. It should a very un-thick batter, which is good. And fyi, the combo of baking soda and baking powder is what makes them so light and fluffy. Fill the cups of the mini cupcake tray halfway and bake at 350 degrees until golden on top, about 10 minutes.

Once the mini cupcakes are cooked, ice them thinly with the buttercream icing, using a knife. I talk about buttercream icing more here, but a really nice basic one is just a mixture of equal amounts of butter and shortening, with a dash of vanilla extract, a splash of milk, and a whole bunch of icing sugar, whipped for a long period of time until fluffy. So, ice the cupcakes, then dunk them upside down into a bowl of the shredded coconut.

Using a dab of buttercream frosting, press two bunny ears into the top of the cupcake. And voila, done! Want to know how to make those bunny ears? Couldn’t be easier!

BABY BUNNY EARS

Take a mini marshmallow, and cut it in half diagonally using a pair of scissors. Dip the sticky middles of those two cut pieces into a bowl of the sanding sugar. The sugar will stick only to the inside of the marshmallow, resulting in a pink inner ear. Aren’t they adorable? Too cute!

The finished product is too cute as well! The DH took them to work this morning, and apparently everyone loved them! If you like coconut, you could even use coconut oil in place of the shortening in the buttercream, and it would be a coconut buttercream. I’ve done that before and it’s also delish! And just think — between the coconut oil and the flax seed, why these are practically healthy, right? At the very least, the health benefits of the healthy oils balance out the sugar, wouldn’t you say?

These cupcakes would make great bonbons to place at place-settings at Easter dinner, or to make with kids as an Easter weekend crafternoon. If you make some, let me know — I’d love to see pics! I mean, cupcakes and bunnies — what could be cuter?

Next Post: More Dinner Roll Odyssey? Or the Parmesan and Paprika Potato Wedges that I made recently? We shall see!