candy decorations(see Recipe Notes below for tips)
Instructions
PREPARE THE CUPCAKES:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat all ingredients at low speed just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes or until the batter is smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
Coat paper muffin cups lightly with cooking spray; spoon the batter evenly into the baking cups, filling each two-thirds full.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to wire racks, and cool 1 hour or until completely cool.
PREPARE THE FROSTING:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase the speed to medium, and slowly add the milk and vanilla, beating until smooth. Split the frosting into two bowls. Stir a little pink food color into 1 bowl of frosting. Frost the cupcakes with the pink frosting.
ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKE:
Spoon 1 heaping teaspoonful of white frosting on the center of each cupcake. To make ears, cut each large marshmallow crosswise into 5 pieces with kitchen scissors. Using scissors, cut through center of each marshmallow piece to within ¼-inch of edge. Separate to look like bunny ears; press 1 side of cut edges into pink sugar, flattening slightly. Arrange on each of the white frosting mounds as shown. Use candy decorations and sprinkles/licorice pieces to make eyes, nose and whiskers. Store loosely covered. I like to refrigerate them in a cupcake container.
Notes
A baking supply shop is a good place to buy some of the candies for the face. Use candy eyes, thin black licorice for the whiskers and nonpareils or dream mints for the noses.
If you have only one 12-cup muffin pan, cover and refrigerate the rest of the batter while baking the first batch. Then bake the rest of the batter in the cooled muffin pan, adding 1 or 2 minutes to the bake time.
You can certainly use any white cupcake recipe that you wish for this.
To save time, use tubs of white icing and just color those.