DIY Tutorial: Sparkling SURPRISE Carrot Cupcakes

In a few days, Peter Cottontail will be hoppin’ down the bunny trail… so we better have some carrots ready for him! But not just any carrots. Really, how many boring carrots can one bunny eat? I say we go for sparkling carrots with a surprise inside!

Hi, it’s Carrie Sellman from Half Baked, the cake blog for sweet inspiration. I’m happy to be back at HWTM today, sharing a different kind of carrot recipe – just in time for EASTER! Sure to make your little egg-hunters squeal with delight, these carrots are actually cupcakes!! Cake batter is baked inside an ice cream cone, topped with icing and then coated in orange candy and oodles of sprinkles. Edible grass provides the finishing touch on top. Just look inside!

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SPARKLING CARROT CUPCAKES – A DIY TUTORIAL

by Carrie Sellman
makes 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

– Ice Cream Cones (12)
– Chocolate Cake Batter (made from mix or from scratch)
– Buttercream Icing (store bought or homemade)
– Orange Candy Melts (2 packs)
– Orange Sprinkles (2 jars)
– Green Edible Candy Grass

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place an oven-safe wire rack on top. Stand ice cream cones upright in slots of wire rack. Cones must fit snuggly or they will fall over when baking. Some batter may leak out the bottom of cone while baking (but that’s why we’re lining our baking sheet with parchment).

2. Fill each cone 2/3 of the way full with cake batter. Bake approximately 15 minutes at 350 degrees, until toothpick comes out almost clean. Let cool completely.

3. Top each cone with a small mound of icing. Return to wire tray and place in freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, melt orange candy coating in a tall microwave-safe container. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir. Repeat until candy is completely melted.

5. Dip chilled cone into melted orange candy, holding the pointed end of cone with your fingers (icing goes down). Cover as much as possible. Pull up and out of candy coating slowly.

6. Before candy coating hardens, hold cone over a bowl and coat with orange sprinkles. Sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle until all areas are covered. Let excess sprinkles fall into bowl so you can reuse.

7. Set cone onto parchment paper, icing side down, until hard. This is a good time to touch up any areas you missed, especially the tip. They firm up quickly and will actually be quite solid once set. Do not worry if they are a little wonky or knobby. Real carrots aren’t perfect either!

8. Using a toothpick, make a small hole in the top center of the carrot. Insert a few pieces of edible grass and trim to desired length.

ENJOY!

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STYLING IDEAS:

– Stand carrots upright in a popcorn cone holder. I attached a white wooden fence to my popcorn holder for an extra little touch. Spoon crushed Oreo crumbs around the carrots to look like dirt.
– Bake extra cake batter in a loaf pan. Cover this cake with icing and crushed Oreo crumbs. Use this as your ‘display stand’ by inserting carrots into cake.
– Simply lay carrots on a plate covered with crushed Oreos or extra edible grass.
– Place carrots in individual cellophane bags and tie with a green ribbon to create favor or portable treat.

Happy Easter!