Garden Carrot Cupcakes are made with homemade cupcakes, homemade buttercream frosting and decorated to look like carrots planted and growing in a garden. These Easy Easter cupcakes are perfect for dessert!
Garden Carrot Cupcakes
If you are looking for a super cute spring cupcake these carrot garden cupcakes are perfect! Since gardening is a fun spring activity to do with the kids I thought it would be a ton of fun to make some super cute cupcakes to go along with our gardening fun. If you are looking for an easy Easter cupcake these are perfect as an Easter dessert too!
Decorated to look like a garden growing cupcakes, these easy Easter cupcakes are perfect for a cute Easter dessert on the dessert table.
Looking for more Easter fun? Check these out!
- Resurrection Cookies
- Easy Easter Bunny Cake
- Carrot Marshmallow Pops
- Bunny Ear Cupcakes
- Easter Bunny Nest cupcakes
Best Cupcakes to Use for this Recipe
I used chocolate cupcakes so that it looked like garden dirt, however you can use any flavor cupcake that you want to. If you are looking for homemade cupcake recipes, just out some of our favorites.
You can also use the making a boxed cake taste homemade trick! It makes amazing cupcakes using boxed cake mix.
Best Frosting for these cupcakes
For the Frosting I used vanilla buttercream so I only had to make 1 batch of frosting. You will need a white frosting so you can color it to make the carrots out of frosting. You can use the best vanilla buttercream, marshmallow buttercream, almond buttercream, whipped vanilla frosting, or cream cheese frosting.
If you would like to use chocolate buttercream for the tops of the cupcakes and then a white frosting to make the carrots you can do that too. Just make half a batch of the white frosting to use to make the carrots.
Tips for Baking Cupcakes
Follow the recipe. Each cupcake recipe is different. It is important to follow the recipe as directed. all of our cupcake recipes have been tested multiple times to make sure they are perfect.
Bring ingredients to room temperature. Cupcakes will bake best when the ingredients are brought to room temperature before mixing the cupcake batter.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Before frosting the cupcakes let them cool completely. If you frost cupcakes while they are still warm then the frosting will melt.
Do not over mix. Over mixing the batter will lead to having tough and flat cupcakes. When making cupcakes you have to be careful that you don’t over mix the batter when you are folding in the flour mixture. If you over-mix your angel food cake batter your cupcakes will turn out flat. You want to mix everything just until mixed, over mixing will cause you to have rough and tough cupcakes. We all know that the best cupcake are light and fluffy.
Fill the cupcake liners appropriately. You do not want to over fill the cupcake liners. Follow the directions for the specific cupcake recipe, if the recipe doesn’t tell you how full stick to the 2/3 full rule. Which is roughly 3 tablespoons of cupcake batter per cupcake liner.
Use the best kitchen tool for filling liners. If you are working with a thick cupcake batter then you want to use a spoon or a cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners. If it is a thin cupcake batter then use a bowl with a spout or a glass measuring cup to pour in the batter.
Use quality cupcake liners. While you might not think it matters a cupcake liner but having a quality cupcake liner will make it so your cupcakes don’t stick to the wrapper and peel off nicely so you can see the perfect cupcake in it.
Bake one tray at a time. Using the center of the oven rack and bake one tray of cupcakes at a time. This will give you the best cupcake results.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. If you frost cupcakes while they are still warm then the frosting will melt.
How to tell when cupcakes are done baking
I like to use the toothpick test when I am making cupcakes with the kids because it is easier for them to see and learn. But if you have been making cupcakes for a while you may not want to use that method.
If you are wanting an even easier method, the cupcake bounce done method as we call it is even easier. Pull the tray of cupcakes out from the oven and lightly press on a cupcake in the middle of the baking pan. If if bounces right back and no finger print is left behind then your cupcakes are done. If there is a finger print you need to bake them for a few more minutes.
How to Store Cupcakes
It is best to store cupcakes in an airtight container on the counter. Cupcakes are best to be enjoyed with in 48 hours of making them. They won’t be bad to eat after 40 hours but they will start to dry out and not be as fresh.
After frosting cupcakes you are ok to store them on the counter for a day or 2 but after that they should be stored in the fridge.
If you are storing them unfrosted you can store them in an airtight container or a plastic bag. If you are storing them with frosting on top I suggest using a cupcake storage container.
How to Freeze Homemade Cupcakes
You will want to freeze them without any frosting on them. Wrap them individually with plastic wrap and freeze on a baking sheet. Then once they are solid store in a zip close freezer bag. They will keep for up to 2 months when frozen.
To thaw, simply remove them from the freezer and defrost. Then frost as normal.
Garden Carrot Cupcake Supply List
Garden Carrot Cupcake Ingredients
- 24 chocolate cupcakes
- vanilla buttercream
- 36 Oreo cookies
- orange food coloring
- green licorice laces
How to Make Garden Carrot Cupcakes
In a medium mixing bowl add 2 cups of buttercream with some orange food coloring and stir until well combined. Transfer the buttercream to your piping bag that is fitted with a straight piping tip.
In another bowl add the rest of the buttercream frosting and leave white.
Place your Oreos into the bowl of your food processor. Grind them until they make a nice soil consistency. Pour the Oreos into a large bowl.
Pipe an even layer of buttercream onto the top of each cupcake.
Dip the cupcakes into the ground Oreos making sure you keep a nice domed shape to each cupcake.
Hold the piping bag filled with orange buttercream frosting straight above a cupcake and slowly press the buttercream into a small top of the carrot shape repeat this so you end up with three carrot tops on each cupcake.
Cut your licorice into small pieces ranging from about half an inch to an inch long. Stick three licorice pieces into each carrot center.
Carrot Garden Cupcakes
Ingredients
Garden Carrot Cupcake Ingredients
- 24 chocolate cupcakes
- vanilla buttercream
- 36 Oreo cookies
- orange food coloring
- green licorice laces
Chocolate cupcakes Ingredients
- 1.5 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1.5 cups hot brewed coffee
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
Vanilla Buttercream Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Butter
- 1.5 cups Shortening
- 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 pounds Confectioners sugar
- 2 1/4 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
Garden Carrot Cupcake Directions
Chocolate Cupcakes Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
- Put paper cupcake liners in your cupcake pans or you can use silicone, which ever ones you prefer.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the hot brewed coffee and cocoa, until dissolved and set aside.
- In the bowl for your stand mixer, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Then add the butter and sugars.
- Beat on medium-high speed of your mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the coffee-cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Mix each addition just until incorporated, being careful not to over mix.
- Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds of the way full.
- Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pans briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Directions
- Bring the butter to room temperature. Do NOT put it in the microwave to soften, put it on the kitchen counter and soften.
- Add the butter and the shortening to the bowl of the stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle handle on the mixer to combine the two on medium speed.
- Once butter and shortening are combined slowly add in the confectioners sugar and mix it little bit little until the sugar is incorporated into the butter/shortening mixture then add in the Vanilla Extract and let the mixer whip the frosting for 10 minutes to bring it to fluffy frosting.
- If the frosting is thick add a little water a little bit at a time until you get to the consistency you are wanting.
How to Assemble Carrot Garden Cupcakes
- In a medium mixing bowl add 2 cups of buttercream with some orange food coloring and stir until well combined. Transfer the buttercream to your piping bag that is fitted with a straight piping tip.
- In another bowl add the rest of the buttercream frosting and leave white.
- Place your Oreos into the bowl of your food processor. Grind them until they make a nice soil consistency. Pour the Oreos into a large bowl.
- Pipe an even layer of buttercream onto the top of each cupcake.
- Dip the cupcakes into the ground Oreos making sure you keep a nice domed shape to each cupcake.
- Hold the piping bag filled with orange buttercream frosting straight above a cupcake and slowly press the buttercream into a small top of the carrot shape repeat this so you end up with three carrot tops on each cupcake.
- Cut your licorice into small pieces ranging from about half an inch to an inch long. Stick three licorice pieces into each carrot center.
Nutrition
27 Weight Watchers SmartPoints per cupcake
Katie @The Semisweet Sisters says
Love it! Those are so cute! Pinned!
Stephanie says
I’m glad you pinned them I hope you enjoy making them.