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    Home » Recipes » Easter

    Cute as a button Bunny Cupcakes

    March 29, 2021 By Sara McCleary Updated May 10, 2021 - This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Bunny Cupcakes that are almost too cute to eat. Red velvet cupcakes are topped with lashings of cream cheese frosting. Decorated simply with marshmallow ears, eyes, and nose.

    close up of a bunny cupcake

    Maybe I made a mistake by making these cupcakes red velvet. It has a horrifying side effect of a bloody bunny massacre when you bite into them. Hopefully, you don't see it that way. Though you probably will now I've mentioned it.

    Cute and simple cupcakes. Cut up a marshmallow to make ears, add some eyes, and a nose. Bingo you have a bunny. Or simply go for the ears only option. As you can see they are pretty cute too.

    Sara xxx

    What's in this post
    • Ingredients
    • Recipe Walk Through
    • Decorating Bunny Cupcakes
    • Printable Recipe
    • More Easter Recipes

    Ingredients

    Easter bunny cupcake ingredients
    1. Shredded Coconut: Shredded coconut give the bunny cupcakes a fury look. Desiccated coconut can be used instead, but the "fur" won't be as distinct.
    2. Caster Sugar: Also known as superfine sugar
    3. Cocoa Powder: Use rich Dutch cocoa powder, you could also use cacao powder if preferred
    4. Self-Raising Flour: If you don't have self-raising flour use the same quantity of plain and add 1½ teaspoons of baking powder.
    5. Milk: Used in the cream cheese frosting, use whatever milk you have on hand.
    6. Butter: Use unsalted butter for this recipe.
    7. Egg: Free-range if you can.
    8. Pink Sanding Sugar: Available at cake decorating stores. Alternatively, make your own. Place ¼ cup of caster sugar (superfine sugar) in a zip lock bag, add two drops of pink food colouring. Work the colouring into the sugar. Work by adding a couple of drops at a time, and working it in until you have your desired colour.
    9. Red Food Colouring: Without this, they wouldn't be red velvet cupcakes.
    10. Buttermilk: Alternatively you can use the same quantity of plain milk plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
    11. Cream Cheese: For the cream cheese frosting, use the hard block cream cheese.
    12. Icing Sugar: Also known as confectioners sugar.
    13. Vanilla Extract: You could use vanilla essence as well.
    14. Marshmallows: White or pink marshmallows can be used, but white show off the pink sugar more distinctively.
    bunny cupcakes without faces, just ears

    Recipe Walk Through

    creamed butter and egg in a glass bowl

    Pre-heat oven 160°C (325°F). Line a cupcake tin with 8-10 paper cases.

    In the bowl of a stand mixer (you can use hand electric beaters as well) place butter, caster sugar (superfine sugar), and vanilla extract.

    Beat for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy.

    Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and beat until well combined.

    Add flour, cocoa, buttermilk, and food colouring to the creamed butter mixture.

    red velvet cake ingredients in a glass bowl
    red velvet cake batter in a glass bowl

    Beat the mixture on low until just combined.

    Divide the red velvet cake mixture evenly between the paper cases.

    I used rather large cases and ended up with 8 large muffin size cupcakes. If you use a smaller holed cupcake tin you will end up with 10-12 cupcakes.

    Bake cupcakes for around 20 minutes until cooked. Test with a skewer, if it comes out clean they are ready to take out of the oven.

    Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a cake rack.

    red velvet cupcake mixture in paper cases in tin
    cream cheese frosting for the bunny cupcakes in a glass bowl

    To make the cream cheese frosting place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (you can use hand electric beaters as well).

    Start at a slow speed until ingredients start to combine. Then increase beater speed to medium and beat for 8-10 minutes until smooth.

    bunny cupcake cut in half showing the cake crumb

    Decorating Bunny Cupcakes

    cutting a marshmallow in half with white kitchen sizzors
    two halves of a marshmallow being held
    dipping cut marshmallows in pink sanding sugar

    First make step is to make enough bunny ears for your cupcakes. Cut a marshmallow in half and dip the sticky cut side in pink sanding sugar, coating it well. Continue until you have enough bunny ears.

    frosting the top of a red velvet cupcake

    Cover the tops of the red velvet cupcakes with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting.

    Dip the frosted cupcake into a bowl of shredded coconut. Be careful not to flatten the frosting too much.

    dipping a frosted cupcake in shredded coconut
    adding ears to the bunny cupcakes

    Add a pair of bunny ears to the top of the cupcake.

    Add a little dollop of frosting to the bottom of each ear to help them stick and keep them in place on top of the cupcake.

    Then add a couple of eyes and a nose if desired.

    I used bright coloured carrot candies for my bunny noses. You could also use mini M&Ms like our Easter Chick Cookies.

    bunny cupcakes on a wooden board

    Printable Recipe

    Bunny cupcakes recipe

    Bunny Cupcakes

    Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
    Bunny Cupcakes that are almost too cute to eat. Red velvet cupcakes are topped with lashings of cream cheese frosting. Decorated simply with marshmallow ears, eyes, and nose.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Decorating Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 330 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 75 grams (2.65 oz) butter, unsalted | softened
    • 75 grams (⅓ cup) caster sugar/superfine sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 egg
    • 100 grams (¾ cup) self-raising flour
    • 2 tablespoons (8 teaspoons) cocoa | sifted
    • 60 mls (¼ cup) buttermilk
    • 1 tablespoon (4 teaspoons) red food colouring

    Cream Cheese Frosting & Decorations

    • 250 grams (8 oz) cream cheese | chopped
    • 50 grams (½ stick) butter, unsalted | softened
    • 120 grams (¾ cup) icing sugar mixture/confectioner's sugar
    • 1 tablespoon (4 teaspoons) milk
    • 8 - 12 white marshmallows
    • pink sanding sugar | (see notes)
    • candy eyes and candies for noses optional

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven 160°C (325°F). Line a cupcake tin with 8-10 paper cases.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer (you can use hand electric beaters as well) place butter, caster sugar (superfine sugar), and vanilla extract.
      Beat for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy.
    • Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and beat until well combined.
    • Add flour, cocoa, buttermilk, and food colouring to the creamed butter mixture.
    • Beat the mixture on low until just combined.
    • Divide the red velvet cake mixture evenly between the paper cases.
      I used rather large cases and ended up with 8 large muffin size cupcakes. If you use a smaller holed cupcake tin you will end up with 10-12 cupcakes.
    • Bake cupcakes for around 20 minutes until cooked. Test with a skewer, if it comes out clean they are ready to take out of the oven.
    • Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a cake rack.

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    • To make the cream cheese frosting place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (you can use hand electric beaters as well).
    • Start at a slow speed until ingredients start to combine. Then increase beater speed to medium and beat for 8-10 minutes until smooth.

    Decorating Bunny Cupcakes

    • First make step is to make enough bunny ears for your cupcakes. Cut a marshmallow in half and dip the sticky cut side in pink sanding sugar, coating it well. Continue until you have enough bunny ears.
    • Cover the tops of the red velvet cupcakes with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting.
    • Dip the frosted cupcake into a bowl of shredded coconut. Be careful not to flatten the frosting too much.
    • Add a pair of bunny ears to the top of the cupcake.
      Add a little dollop of frosting to the bottom of each ear to help them stick and keep them in place on top of the cupcake.
      Then add a couple of eyes and a nose if desired.
      I used bright coloured carrot candies for my bunny noses. You could also use mini M&Ms like our Easter Chick Cookies.

    Oven Temperatures

    All oven temperatures are fan forced.

    Measurement Notes

    All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.

    Recipe Notes

    PINK SANDING SUGAR
    Available at cake decorating stores. Alternatively, make your own. Place ¼ cup of caster sugar (superfine sugar) in a zip lock bag, add two drops of pink food colouring. Work the colouring into the sugar. Work by adding a couple of drops at a time, and working it in until you have your desired colour.
    GENERAL COOK’S NOTES
    All oven temperatures are fan forced, increase the temperature by 20 Deg C (70 Deg F) for convection ovens.
    All measurements are Australian tablespoons and cups. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified;
    • 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
    • 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
    • 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
    • 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
    • I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
    Herbs are fresh | Vegetables are of a medium size | Eggs are roughly 60 grams in weight (large) 
     
    NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW IS A GUIDE ONLY

    NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

    The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.

    Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 148mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 1gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 491IUCalcium: 67mgIron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles

    More Easter Recipes

    Make sure you check out our Easter Recipes section. You will find some tasty recipes like my hot cross bun ice cream, as well as the below.

    • Hot Cross Bun Ice Cream, You'll Really Lick It
    • Easter Egg Nests ~ A super easy recipe made in under 5 minutes. A great one for the kids. Only using 4 ingredients.
      Easter Egg Nests, made in under 5 minutes
    • Hatching Easter Chick Cookies
      So Cute! Easter Chick Cookies
    • Easter Chocolate Mud Cupcakes
      Easter Chocolate Mud Cupcakes using Russian Piping Tips
    bunny cupcakes pinterest pin
    bunny cupcakes pinterest pin
    « 30 Minute Quick Hot Cross Buns Recipe
    Roasted Dutch Carrots with buttery honey almonds »

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