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These festive Easter cupcakes start with my tried-and-true vanilla cupcake recipe—tested and perfected for bakery-style results at home! I’ll walk you through step-by-step how to turn them into adorable chicks, bunnies, or robin’s eggs with easy decorating ideas that are kid-friendly and totally do-able, even for beginners.

A platter of decorated cupcakes, including one with bunny ears and face made of frosting, and others topped with pastel-colored eggs and yellow sprinkles. Jellybeans and flowers are scattered around for a festive spring theme.

A collage of desserts, including chocolate cake, sprinkle cake pops, a glazed bundt cake, and chocolate-covered strawberries, alongside a cookbook titled Sweet. Text reads: Life is Sweet. 63 delicious dessert recipes. BUY NOW.

These aren’t just cute Easter cupcakes—they’re built on a rock-solid foundation: my trusted and tested vanilla cupcake recipe that’s been a reader favorite for years. I’ve made these cupcakes dozens of times while testing for my cookbooks and blog, and I know exactly how to get the soft, moist crumb and consistent results every time. No dry cupcakes here—just perfectly tender vanilla flavor that pairs well with any decorating theme.

What sets these Easter cupcakes apart is the balance of professional-quality results with kid-friendly fun. I’ve broken down the steps so even beginner bakers (and their little helpers!) can jump in. Whether you’re making fluffy yellow chicks with sanding sugar, sweet bunny faces with marshmallow ears, or speckled robin’s egg cupcakes with candy eggs and cocoa paint—these are decorating ideas you can actually pull off at home with confidence.

I don’t just bake—I test, tweak, and teach. Every variation you see here has been created and refined in my kitchen so you can skip the trial-and-error. If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by Pinterest-perfect cupcakes, this is your sign that yes, you can absolutely do this. Let’s make something festive, fun, and 100% delicious this Easter.

Unfrosted cupcakes on a cooling rack, a bowl of chocolate chips, yellow and orange frosting in piping bags, and a bowl of yellow sugar sprinkles on a white surface.

Tips for Decorating Easter Cupcakes with Kids

Baking with kids doesn’t have to be chaotic—it can actually be one of the best parts of the holiday! Here are a few of my go-to tips to make decorating Easter cupcakes a smooth and fun experience for everyone:

Prep in Advance: Measure and tint the frosting, cut marshmallows for bunny ears, and prep candy toppings before inviting the kids in. When everything’s ready to go, it keeps things moving and minimizes mess.
Give Age-Appropriate Tasks: Younger kids love simple jobs like sprinkling sanding sugar, placing candy eggs, or pressing on mini chocolate chips for eyes. Older kids can help pipe frosting or “paint” speckles on robin’s egg cupcakes.
Set Up a Decorating Station: Use muffin tins or small bowls to hold toppings—this keeps things contained and lets kids see all their options clearly.
Embrace the Imperfection: Not every bunny will look the same, and that’s part of the fun. Let them be creative and make it their own—the memories matter more than the symmetry.
Snap a Photo Before the Taste Test: Trust me, once they’re decorated, they won’t last long! Take a quick picture before little hands grab their masterpiece.

A variety of Easter-themed cupcakes on a cooling rack, decorated as yellow chicks, bunny faces with pink ears, and blue swirled nests topped with candy eggs.

How to Make Adorable Easter Cupcakes

These easy Easter cupcakes hit all the marks from taste to presentation, and they’re fun to make with your kids! Follow these simple steps for some tasty Easter fun:

Cupcakes

Prep oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C). Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
Combine dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Combine wet ingredients: In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and oil on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract, then beat for 1 minute.
Combine wet and dry ingredients: On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined.

A metal scoop fills a paper-lined muffin tin with batter. Some cups are already filled, while others are empty and ready for batter to be added.

Several plain vanilla cupcakes in paper liners are cooling on a wire rack, viewed from above. The cupcakes are golden brown and appear soft and fluffy.

Bake and cool: Fill the muffin liners halfway. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Frosting

Combine ingredients and adjust as needed: Beat butter, vanilla extract, and salt on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk or cream, mixing on low until smooth. Adjust sweetness by adding more powdered sugar if desired. If too thick, thin with 2-4 additional tablespoons of milk or cream.

Cupcakes decorated to look like yellow chicks with orange candy beaks and feet, and chocolate eyes, arranged on a round plate. Colorful jelly beans are scattered on the white surface around the plate.

Chick Design

Color frosting: Use gel food coloring to dye about 1 ½ cups frosting yellow and about 2 Tablespoons frosting orange. Mix until fully tinted.
Frost top of cupcakes: Using an offset spatula or butter knife, frost the top of each cupcake with a generous amount of yellow frosting, smoothing it into a dome shape.

A hand dips a cupcake with a brown paper liner into a bowl of yellow sugar crystals. Chocolate chips and a decorated cupcake are visible in the background.

A hand holds a cupcake with yellow sugar sprinkles over a bowl containing more yellow sugar. Another decorated cupcake and a bowl of chocolate chips are visible in the background.

Add sanding sugar: Gently roll or sprinkle the frosted top with yellow sanding sugar until it’s fully coated. This gives the chicks a fluffy, sparkly look.
Add eyes: Place 2 mini chocolate chips, point side down, near the top center of each cupcake for the eyes.
Add beak and feet: Use the orange frosting in a piping bag (or a zip-top bag with the tip snipped) to pipe a small triangle beak just below the eyes. Pipe two small orange feet at the bottom using the same piping bag.

Three cupcakes decorated as bunnies with pink and white candy ears, chocolate chip eyes, and a pink candy nose, surrounded by colorful jellybeans on a white surface with a pink cloth.

Bunny Design

Frost top of cupcakes: Using a piping bag or spatula, frost each cupcake with a generous swirl of vanilla frosting. For a tall swirl, use a large round tip and pipe in a spiral from the outer edge inward.

A pair of scissors cutting a white marshmallow, with a cupcake decorated like a bunny and a plate of pink treats in the background.

A cupcake decorated as a bunny with pink ears and a face sits near marshmallow halves, pink sugar, a bowl of sprinkles, and purple scissors on a white surface.

Make the Bunny Ears: Lightly dip your kitchen scissors in water before cutting to prevent the marshmallow from sticking. Cut each marshmallow in half on the diagonal to create two teardrop-shaped pieces—these will be the ears. Immediately dip the sticky cut side of each piece into pink sanding sugar to create the “inner ear” look. Gently press two ears into the top of each frosted cupcake.

A bowl of pink sugar crystals with a marshmallow being dipped in it, surrounded by marshmallow pieces, and a cupcake decorated like a bunny with frosting, candy decorations, and marshmallow ears.

A hand holds a marshmallow half dipped in pink sugar over a bowl of pink sugar, with a bunny-themed cupcake and more pink-dipped marshmallow pieces in the background.

Add the Face: Place two mini chocolate chips, tip side down, for the bunny’s eyes. Press a pink jelly bean below the eyes for the nose.

A cupcake with blue frosting is topped with three pastel candy eggs and chocolate speckles. A paintbrush and a bowl of melted chocolate sit nearby on a white surface.

Robin’s Egg Design

Color frosting: Add a small amount of blue gel food coloring to your buttercream to create a soft, robin’s egg blue. Mix well until the color is evenly distributed.
Frost the Cupcakes: Using a piping bag or spatula, frost each cupcake with a generous swirl or dome of blue frosting. Smooth the tops for a clean look.

A close-up of a spoon lifting smooth, melted chocolate from a small glass bowl filled with glossy chocolate sauce. The background is softly blurred.

Create nest: Gently press 2–3 Cadbury Mini Eggs into the top center of each frosted cupcake to resemble a little bird’s nest of eggs.
Make the Cocoa Speckle Paint: In a small bowl, stir together: 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder and ½ tsp vanilla extract. The consistency should be watery.
Speckle the Cupcakes: Dip a small food-safe paintbrush or new toothbrush into the cocoa paint. Hold it a few inches above the cupcakes and flick the brush bristles with your finger to splatter cocoa speckles across the frosting. Pro Tip: Do this over a baking sheet or parchment paper to contain any mess.

A cupcake with light blue frosting, pastel mini eggs, and a decorative grass design is cut in half on a white surface, surrounded by chick-themed and pastel-decorated cupcakes and candy eggs.

Tips for Moist Easter Cupcakes

Even novice bakers can make delicious cupcakes at home, just follow my pro tips:

Properly measure the flour: Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Then use a butter knife to level off the excess flour perfectly. Do not stick the measuring cup into the bag of flour, and do not pack the flour into the cup – both will result in an increase in flour, making your cupcakes dry. Learn more about how to properly measure flour below.
Don’t overfill the muffin liners: Only fill them halfway full! They will overflow if you fill them too high.

A vanilla cupcake with light blue frosting, topped with three pastel-colored candy eggs, sits on a white surface. Other decorated cupcakes and candy eggs are visible in the background.

How to Properly Measure Flour

The most accurate way to measure flour is to use a kitchen scale, weighing it in grams.

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, follow this method.

Aerate the flour with a whisk or spoon. Flour becomes heavy and compact as it sits. Aerating is the same as fluffing the flour, but not the same as sifting it. Do not sift the flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
Use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into the measuring cup. Do not tap the cup against the counter, as this will compact the flour.
Use the back of a butter knife to level off the excess.

Gluten Free Easter Cupcakes

I have had great success making delicious cupcake recipes gluten-free by using King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. Simply swap it in as a direct one-to-one substitute for regular flour.

Cupcakes on a cooling rack, with baking supplies nearby: a piping bag filled with frosting, a bowl of red sugar sprinkles, chocolate chips, large marshmallows, and pink candy pieces on a white surface.

Storage Suggestions

Store any leftover cupcakes at room temperature. Keep them in an airtight container and they’ll be good for 2-3 days.

Easter Cupcakes

Tips for Decorating Easter Cupcakes with Kids