Easter Bunny Carrot Cupcakes (Printable Version)

Moist, spiced carrot cupcakes with creamy frosting and whimsical bunny decorations perfect for springtime.

# The Ingredients You'll Need:

→ For the Cupcakes

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
11 - 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
14 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

→ For the Cream Cheese Frosting

15 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

→ For Decoration

20 - 24 large marshmallows for ears
21 - Pink sanding sugar or edible pink glitter
22 - 12 mini marshmallows for bunny tails
23 - 24 candy eyes
24 - 12 pink candy-coated chocolates for noses

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture and fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts if using, distributing evenly throughout the batter.
06 - Divide batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue beating until frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
09 - Apply a generous layer of frosting to each cooled cupcake using a spatula or piping bag.
10 - Cut each large marshmallow diagonally in half. Dip the sticky cut side into pink sanding sugar to coat the inner ear surface.
11 - Press two sugar-coated marshmallow halves onto each cupcake to form ears. Add candy eyes, one pink chocolate for the nose, and one mini marshmallow for the tail to complete the bunny face.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The frosting stays creamy and stable enough for decorating, but tastes like actual cream cheese, not overly sweet air.
  • Kids (and honestly, most adults) go wild for the bunny faces, turning dessert into a moment worth remembering.
  • The carrot cake stays incredibly moist because of the applesauce trick, so even day-old cupcakes taste fresh.
02 -
  • Never frost warm cupcakes because the frosting melts and runs everywhere—I learned this by trying to rush the cooling process and created a frosting puddle on my first attempt.
  • Fresh marshmallows make all the difference for the ears; stale ones are brittle and won't cut cleanly, no matter how sharp your knife is.
03 -
  • Sift your powdered sugar even if the bag says it's already sifted—small lumps are the enemy of smooth frosting, and sifting takes forty seconds.
  • If your cream cheese frosting seems too soft, refrigerate it for 15 minutes before decorating; it firms up just enough to hold the marshmallow ears without becoming hard to spread.
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