#47 Egg Surprise Cupcakes

Hipity Hop are you ready for Easter?
I've had my lovely Easter cupcakes picked out for months. I bought a 2 pound bag of lemons to make some amazing lemon meringue cupcakes. BUT then I came across the most intriguing post over on one of my favorite blogs cupcake project. They had themselves some cupcakes baked in egg shells. YES egg shells. I stopped dead in my tracks and was amazed! Who would have thought? Right? So since this seemed a lot more interesting than carrot or lemon cupcakes I started my hunt for the number one item on my list-speckled eggs. I really didn't think they would be that hard to find since Martha uses them and all. WRONG!!!! I checked every freakin store and one egg farm in town and found nothing close to speckled eggs. The closest thing I came too was brown eggs with slight spots on top. I gave up and just bought some brown eggs at Freddy's. Now onto the second part of this baking extravaganza the batter. What should I use? I started off with some red velvet dyed purple... Yes the batter was purple but after it's baked it looked like plain chocolate cupcakes. This was not good enough so on to the second plan-marble cupcakes-which is vanilla and chocolate batters separated and then swished together to make a pretty pattern. Perfect! Other than over filling these suckers they turned out great. The only thing I would do differently is some how give them a filling. Maybe next time... Anyways grab some lovely eggs and you're favorite cupcake recipe and give these a try. They will be a huge hit!

Egg Surprise Cupcakes
This would be really fun with a vanilla cake mix separated and dyed different colors you would have a fun tye dye effect.

The Goods
12 eggs
Favorite Cupcake Recipe (I picked a marble which is vanilla and chocolate swirled together.)

The How To
Take the eggs one at a time and drill a hole into the bottom of the egg. The hole must be large enough to fit a  piping tip through. Dump the contents out.

After all the eggs have been emptied, rinse in warm water then transfer to a pot filled with water and bring the shells to a boil.

Fill the shells with water first this keeps them from floating around and crashing into each other.

Remove from pan and place shells on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 225 for 18-25mins. This will dry the shells out.

Once the shells have cooled take a cupcake tin and line the cups with foil. The foil will keep the shells from tipping over.

Once you have you're shells situated, turn up the oven to 350 degrees and prepare you're batter. Place the batter into a bag(s) fitted with a piping tip. If you don't have one just use a zip lock bag and snip the corner off.

Yummy vanilla and chocolate!

Pipe batter into shells. Aim for about 2/3rds full. If you have a two toned batter like mine make sure to alternate and swirl the batter around with a toothpick for a marble effect.

Once all the eggs have been filled bake for 18-20mins rotating half way through the baking time. Test out the centers with a toothpick and if it comes out clean then they are done.

They kinda look like a science project that went wrong!

If your eggs look anything like mine then they will have to be cleaned off. So after they have had a chance to cool, take a damp paper towel or wash cloth and carefully clean off the shells.

Tada!!! Cupcake eggs!!!!

Now go ahead and crack one open you'll be delightfully surprised :)

Enjoy!

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Carrot Cupcakes
Seriously this time it really is!

#45 You Are The Apple of My Eye Cupcakes

Now these are not your average cupcakes!!!! I had a chance to make these delightful cuppy's for a co-worker's back to school theme birthday. I  was also thinking these would be perfect for a snow white themed party too. So if you've got some time, patents and lots of extra doughnuts then bake up some of your favorite cupcakes and whip up some red frosting and and give them a shot.

You Are the Apple of My Eye Cupcakes

Get a a box of mini and regular sized doughnuts and just play around with them. The best tip I can give is to make sure the cupcakes are FIRM before covering up the doughnuts with frosting. If you don't they will start pulling away when you go to dip them in the sprinkles.


The Goods
12 cupcakes baked in red liners. I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe which I also used for the marshmallow turkey cupcakes.
4 cups of red frosting I used Martha Stewart's Vanilla Buttercream and added some red gel food coloring
12 cake doughnuts I used regular size and cut them down to fit on the top of the cupcake. You don't want the doughnut hanging over the side of the cupcake.
Red sprinkles
12 tootsie rolls
12 green sweetish fish


The How To
After the cupcakes have had a chance to completely cool grab your red frosting and put a layer across the top this will act like the "glue" for the doughnuts.




Now if you've got some mini doughnuts just cut off about 1/2in off the bottom and place them on top of the doughnut. If you have regular sized ones like me then you will have to cut them down so none of the doughnut is hanging off the top of the cupcake.

This is what your cupcake should NOT look like.

Arron is cutting them down...

Perfect!

 Now that you have the doughnuts situated place cupcakes in the freezer for at least 20mins. You will want the them firm to the touch. After they have had enough freezer time start frosting. You might have to add a little extra frosting wound the top to add some depth to the center. Work fast because they will be top heavy and the doughnut might start pulling away.

This was my first attempt with the over sized doughnut. Definitely too much hanging off the sides and doesn't look much like an apple.

They should have a nice dome appearance to them.

Make sure to smooth out the surface. Apples don't have lumpy spots!

Looking good!

After you have your cupcake frosted the way you want it add the red sprinkles. I spooned some on top then rolled the sides in a shallow bowl.

  

Once you have all the cupcakes covered cut down and shape the tootsie rolls into steams. After you get you're steams how you want them place them in the dimple on the top of the apple. Add the sweetish fish tail down.


Chopping down the tootsie rolls.

All steams and leaves added.



Now you've got a bushel of apples!!!


Since my batter made more than 12 cupcakes this gave me the perfect excused to get my favorite Easter candy and make some pre-Easter cupcakes!

Of course I had test out the normal size eggs too!

Super yummy but next time I will add the eggs half way through the bake time. Maybe this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom.

Added the "grass".

The perfect Easter Cupcakes!!!!

If your not feeling the marshmallows you can always check out my store for some Easter inspiration!!

Marshmallowless Bunny Cupcake Toppers

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