Rabbit Hole Cupcakes Tutorial

Today I put some of my limited cake decorating skills to use making Rabbit Hole Cupcakes {or as I keep calling them, rabbit butt cupcakes, but I guess that doesn't sound very appealing}. Per the picture in my Hello, Cupcake! book {I have the one with the dogs on the cover} the end product should look something like this:

To start you will need:

Cupcakes {about 24}

Frosting {I made my own buttercream frosting (recipe below) but you can also buy frosting. You'll need about two cans.}

1/2 cup cookie crumbs {like oreos}

Green and yellow food coloring

Flower candy decors

Assorted malted milk eggs and jelly beans

8 white circus peanuts {I could only find orange so I covered them in white chocolate.}

4 black jelly beans

24 brown chocolate covered sunflower seeds {I didn't want to pay $5 for a bag at Michael's so I made my own. I suggest using a 40% off coupon and get the bag at Michael's.}

4 mini marshmallows

Light corn syrup

White nonpareils

Step 1: Frost four cupcakes and dip into your cookie crumbs {Hint: After I dipped the cupcake in the crumbs I didn't like how much white was showing through (hence why they say to use chocolate frosting, but I was too lazy to make another batch of frosting) so I just used my fingers and patted more cookie crumbs onto the top of the cupcakes.

Step 2: Keep a small portion (about 2 tablespoons) of your white frosting for later. Take the remaining frosting and divide it into two bowls. Add green food coloring to one bowl and add green and yellow food coloring to the other bowl. That way you will have two shades of green frosting, a darker green and a bright green.

Step 3: Put the Multi-Opening Decorating Tip 233 (Wilton) into your decorating bag. Fill one side of the bag with your dark green frosting. Fill the other side of the bag with your bright green frosting. Using this tip you can easily make grass. Start on the outside of your cupcake and work you way in. Here is a good tutorial on making grass.

Multi-Opening Decorating Tip 233

This is what the two-toned frosting will look like in the decorating bag.

Work from the outside of the cupcake in. As you can see each section of grass does not have to be perfect.

Step 4: Make the rabbit feet. Cut the circus peanut in half length wise. You'll only use the bottom/flat half. Cut four black jelly beans in half.

Take a little frosting and add the jelly bean to each food and three chocolate covered sunflower seeds {see picture below}

Add a little white frosting to the bottom of each foot and gently push onto your cupcake. Make the feet hang over the side of the cupcake a little bit.

Step 5: Make the rabbit tail. Roll the four mini marshmallows in light corn syrup and then sprinkle and roll in white nonpareils. Add a little white frosting to the bottom of the tail and gently push onto your cupcake {see photo above}

Step 6: Decorate the rest of your grass frosted cupcakes with the flower candy decors and assorted malted milk eggs and/or jelly beans.

We are all packed up and ready for our Easter get-together tomorrow.

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

1lb powered sugar {approximately 4 cups}, sifted

2 tablespoons milk {or water}

Make about 3 cups of frosting.

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer {I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment so that there aren't too many air bubbles in the frosting}. Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar, about one cup at a time. When all the sugar has been mixed in the frosting it will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered until ready to use. Refrigerate when not in use in an airtight container. Re-whip before using. Enjoy!