I use my tried-and-true vanilla cupcakes as a starting point for this recipe. I load the batter up with lemon zest and give the cupcakes a big swirl of lemon buttercream frosting to really get the bright lemon flavor to shine through.

Ingredients

There are a few ingredients that set these cupcakes apart:

The best part is that it’s easy to make these cute and impressive Easter cupcakes!

Imagine the look of delight on someone’s face when they break open a cupcake and find a bunny hidden inside! These Easter themed cupcakes will brighten anyone’s day.

One of our son’s friends thought my carrot curd tasted like spiced pumpkin pie. He wasn’t that far off. The carrot curd taste is distinctly carrot with a hint of ginger, but it is thick, sweet, and buttery.

I could totally see how anyone could think they were eating delicious pumpkin pie or even candied yams if they didn’t know better.

Seriously, you can do this.

When you create homemade jelly beans, you get the joy of choosing the flavor and color you’d like – any drink you fancy can be turned into a jelly bean flavor. Use juice to flavor jelly beans for a kid’s party, but don’t forget the adults. Grownup flavors made using your favorite cocktails allow you to get really creative. The homemade jelly beans shown above are margarita jelly beans. Serve the margarita jelly beans straight up or use them to top margarita cupcakes. Jello shots are so 2011; homemade jelly beans are where it’s at!

How Do Homemade Jelly Beans Compare to Store-Bought Jelly Beans?

These homemade jelly beans are close to store-bought jelly beans, but not quite the same.

I watched my Grandmother’s face when she realized that I hadn’t handed her a hard boiled egg but rather a cake baked inside a real egg shell. Her eyes were filled with wonder and I could envision what she must have looked like as a tyke the very first time she saw a red balloon float across the sky or the the trunk of a giant elephant spewing a stream of water.

“Crack it on the table,” I told her.

Why You’ll Love Carrot Curls

Why are carrot cakes and Carrot Cake Cupcakes always topped with a piped carrot drawing? Apple cakes don’t have apple drawings on them, nor do peach cakes have little piped peaches.

Why not top your carrot cakes with the real thing?! My candied carrot curls are crunchy and sweet with a light lemony flavor. They’re the perfect way to garnish a classic and moist Carrot Cake, these fun Pumpkin Cupcakes, or even a decadent Chocolate Carrot Cake!