Easy Bunny Bum Easter Cupcakes

Take the butter out of the refrigerator a couple of hours ahead of time so it will soften by the time you need to use it.

Start by lining 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Or if you only have 1 muffin tin, you can bake them in 2 batches.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Mixing thoroughly is key here, so use the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl often with a spatula to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated, and mix for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth.

Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full with the batter. This allows room for the cupcakes to rise without spilling over.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 14 to 16 minutes.

To test for done-ness, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. it should come out clean.

Let them cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating. Cooling is crucial, as frosting warm cupcakes will cause the icing to melt.

Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl by heating it in short intervals (15 to 20 seconds) and stirring in between to prevent overheating.

Once smooth, transfer it to a piping bag.

Lay out a piece of parchment paper on your work surface. This will make removing the chocolate shapes easier once they set.

Pipe small flower-shaped dollops for the bunny tails using the white chocolate. Or if you don’t want to get that fancy, you could also make them into balls.

It’s a good idea to make extra in case some break.

For the feet, pipe oval shapes with the white chocolate, two per cupcake, plus extras.

Then melt the pink candy melts using the same process as for the white chocolate.

Transfer it to a piping bag.

Add small dots of pink candy melts at the top of each foot and a larger oval in the center for the paw pad.

Allow these to set completely; this might take a few minutes.

Once set, carefully peel them off the parchment.

In a stand mixer, combine half of the powdered sugar with softened butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. The whip attachment works best for making icing.

Mix on low speed initially to prevent the sugar from puffing out of the bowl.

Scrape down the sides frequently to ensure everything mixes evenly.

Add the remaining powdered sugar and milk, mixing again on low until incorporated.

Increase the speed to medium and whip until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. This aerates the frosting, making it light and easy to work with.

Once your cupcakes are completely cool, spread sprinkles on a plate or shallow bowl for easy rolling.

Use an offset spatula or knife to spread a thin layer of frosting over each cupcake’s top, then immediately roll the outside edges in the sprinkles to coat.

After all of the cupcakes have sprinkles, transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

Pipe a generous mound of frosting in the center of each cupcake.

Place a bunny tail on top of the frosting mound, then position two feet pointing downward toward the front. This arrangement gives the appearance of a bunny diving into the cupcake, with the tail and feet sticking out.