Directions (continued)
- In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and
- warm water. Beat on high speed with a portable mixer for 10-12
- minutes or on low speed with a stand mixer for 7-10 minutes until
- peaks form. Tint 1 cup icing pink, 1/4 cup orange and 1/4 cup green.
- Cover frosting with damp paper towels or plastic wrap between uses.
-
- Pipe white outlines on bunny ears; thin remaining white icing
- slightly with water. Fill ears with thinned icing; let stand 30
- minutes. Pipe orange outlines on carrots; fill in centers. Let stand
- 30 minutes.
- Pipe greens carrot tops, sprinkle with colored sugar. Pipe 3 orange
- lines on each carrot. Using pink icing, pipe inside of bunny ears.
- Let dry at room temperature for several hours or until firm.
- Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Fold in carrots
- and cinnamon.
- Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 350° for 18-23
- minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out
- clean. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
- In a microwave, melt baking chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool to
- room temperature.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
- Beat in cooled baking chocolate and lemon juice until smooth.
- Generously frost each cupcake with about 1/4 cup cream cheese icing.
- Just before serving, add bunny ears, candy-coated sunflower kernels
- for eyes and nose. Pipe a smile with chocolate frosting.
- Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes.
Editor's Note: Find bunny cookie cutters in the 24-piece Progressive Cookie Cutter and Stencil Kit at KitchenKrafts.com. Mini carrot cookie cutters are available as part of the Easter 12-piece Mini Metal Cutter Collection from Wilton Industries, wilton.com. For a festive presentation, bake cupcakes using regular cupcake liners, then wrap the cooled cupcakes in a pretty paper liner. The ones shown on page 79 are available at etsy.com/shop/PaperNPeace. For bunny tails, attach 1/2-inch craft pompoms with a glue dot. You can also wrap the cupcake base in “edible grass,” usually available in your grocer’s candy aisle at Easter time.