Put a little *hop* in your step with my moist and tender Orange Chocolate Easter Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting; they’re a springtime revelation the whole family will love! These adorable treats are topped with everyone’s favorite seasonal candy – Cadbury’s Mini Eggs – and are 100% Easter Bunny approved.
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About This Recipe
Whether you’re Team Vanilla or Chocolate, Team White, Dark, or Milk Chocolate, these delicious Easter cupcakes are here for you. Made with a tender-crumbed orange chocolate cake base, a creamy, dreamy vanilla bean white chocolate frosting, and topped with crisp-shelled milk chocolate mini eggs, these tasty cupcakes have it all!
As an added bonus, these simple orange chocolate cupcakes can be made in a single bowl, without a mixer! Simply whisk your way to a gorgeously moist batter, then bake in either mini or regular muffin cups.
While your Easter-themed cupcakes are in the oven, you can whip up the delightfully simple 4-ingredient vanilla bean white chocolate frosting. Since you didn’t have to dirty the mixer for the cupcakes, you can get right to it!
When it comes time to decorate, feel free to leave your piping tips in the pantry. These easy Easter cupcakes can be assembled with just a pastry bag and an offset spatula to create a cozy little nest for your pastel-colored chocolate mini eggs. Feel free to gussy them up even more with some pretty edible flowers and spring-colored sprinkles.
Ingredients
My Orange Chocolate Easter Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting might sound like a mouthful, but I’d bet you already have more than half of the ingredients on hand. Here’s a few notes to keep in mind:
- Orange Zest - Fresh citrus zest adds tons of flavor. Be sure to wash your fruit well, and only zest the colored portion of the rind; the white pith is quite bitter.
- Cocoa Powder - If possible, opt for Dutch-processed brands like Droste for the best, least bitter flavor.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder - Yes, you need both, and make sure to check those expiration dates!
- Buttermilk - If you don’t have any on hand, don’t fret! You can make your own by adding a teaspoon of acid like vinegar or lemon juice to each cup of milk (dairy or plant-based). Stir together and let sit for about 5 minutes to curdle, then proceed as directed. Want to make your own buttermilk from scratch? Check out my guide for making homemade buttermilk or vegan buttermilk!
- Neutral Oil - Grapeseed, avocado, vegetable, canola, corn, or peanut oil all fit the bill.
- White Chocolate - Make sure to grab high-quality white chocolate that lists cocoa butter as the primary ingredient.
- Unsalted Butter - Try to use grass-fed, organic, and/or cultured butter for the best flavor. Feel free to swap in your favorite plant-based substitute if you prefer.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - I love the tiny black flecks of vanilla beans in this frosting – it just feels so special! Vanilla paste is the least expensive means of getting the effect, but you can also feel free to swap in vanilla extract, powder, or actual vanilla beans if you prefer.
- Cadbury Mini Eggs - These are only in stores for a brief few weeks each year; make sure to grab some while they last! You’ll be so happy you did.
Equipment
Perhaps surprisingly, you don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment to make these gorgeous orange chocolate Easter cupcakes! Here’s what you’ll need to grab:
- Mixer With Paddle Attachment - While you technically CAN make white chocolate buttercream without one, a hand or stand mixer will make your life so much easier.
- Muffin Tin & Cupcake Liners - Feel free to opt for either regular or mini muffin tins and liners here!
- Mesh Strainer - I adore my mesh strainer and use it for a large number of recipes. It can help with straining ricotta, dusting desserts with powdered sugar, or act as a colander!
How to Make Easter Egg Cupcakes
These easy Easter cupcakes can be broken down into three primary steps:
Step 1: Make Orange Chocolate Cupcakes
Prep: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your cupcake tin with liners.
Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.
Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange zest, buttermilk, oil, and egg until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully incorporated.
Bake: Fill each cupcake liner ½ way with batter before placing in the oven and baking. Make sure to check that the cake is fully baked by testing with a toothpick before removing it from the oven and allowing it to cool completely.
- Bake mini cupcakes for 13-15 minutes.
- Bake regular-sized cupcake liners for 20-23 minutes.
Step 2: Make Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Frosting
Cream butter: In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with the paddle attachment.
Add sugar: Add approximately half of the powdered sugar and beat again. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the powdered sugar. Continue beating for a few minutes, scraping the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add white chocolate: Finally, add the melted chocolate and vanilla - continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy.
Step 3: Assemble & Decorate
Pipe vanilla bean white chocolate frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, using just a plain pastry bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to create a sort of nest. Top with sprinkles, mini eggs, and edible flowers. Enjoy!
Looking to create delicious and homemade garnishes to elevate your creations? Try adding Sugared Flowers, Candied Rose Petals, Dried Orange Slices or Sugared berries!
Expert Tips
- Make sure to let your cupcakes cool COMPLETELY before decorating. I can’t tell you how sad it is to see your frosting melt and slip off. Go back and watch the Great British Baking Show Cake Week episodes to get the idea. It’s an easily avoidable bummer.
- Test with a toothpick! The toothpick should have a few crumbs stuck to it (that means your cupcakes are nice and moist), but should not have any visible batter.
- Make your cupcakes look as cute as Mr. Macgregor’s garden. There’s no clearer sign of spring than flowers, so try incorporating some edible blooms into your decorating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Feel free to bake and decorate these Easter cupcakes up to 3 days in advance. Keep them in an airtight container for best results.
Absolutely! Simply reach for your favorite plant-based milk to turn into buttermilk and use dairy-free butter.
Want to make your frosting look like grass? I suggest using gel food coloring to prevent the frosting from getting too loose. You can also feel free to use a multi-opening piping tip (Wilton 233) to actually get individual strands of grass.
Looking for more chocolate cakes and desserts?
More Mini Egg Recipes to try!
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! Please leave a review or share your creation with me on social media if you make these Orange Chocolate Easter Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Orange Chocolate Easter Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- Muffin/Cupcake Tin & Cupcake Liners
- Mesh Strainer
- Offset spatula or small spoon for creating swirls in icing
Ingredients
Orange Chocolate Easter Cupcakes
- ⅔ Cup (80 g) All-Purpose Flour
- ⅔ Cup (135 g) Brown Sugar, packed
- ½ Cup (43 g) Cocoa Powder
- ⅔ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅓ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons Orange zest
- 2 tablespoon (30 g) Neutral Oil, Grapeseed, Olive or Avocado Oil
- ⅔ cup Buttermilk
White chocolate vanilla bean frosting
- ¾ Cup (170 g) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 1 ½ Cup (180 g) Powdered Sugar
- ¾ Cup (130 g) White chocolate, Melted
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- Crushed Mini eggs and sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
Orange Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line your cupcake tin with liners.
- Sift the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl⅔ Cup All-Purpose Flour, ⅔ Cup Brown Sugar, ½ Cup Cocoa Powder, ⅔ teaspoon Baking Soda, ⅓ teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
- In a separate bowl whisk together the orange zest, buttermilk, oil, and egg until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully incorporated.1 Large Egg, 3 Tablespoons Orange zest, 2 tablespoon Neutral Oil, ⅔ cup Buttermilk
- Fill each mini cupcake liner ½ way with batter before placing in the oven and baking for 13-15 minutes. If using regular sized cupcake liners, bake for 20-23 minutes. Make sure to check that the cake is fully baked by testing with a toothpick before removing it from the oven and allowing it to cool completely.
White chocolate vanilla bean frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with the paddle attachment.¾ Cup Unsalted Butter
- Add approximately half of the powdered sugar and beat again. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the powdered sugar. Continue beating for a few minutes, scraping the sides as needed, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.1 ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
- Finally, add the melted chocolate and vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes, top with sprinkles, and enjoy!¾ Cup White chocolate, 1 tablespoon Vanilla bean paste, Crushed Mini eggs and sprinkles for garnish
Notes
- Make sure to let your cupcakes cool COMPLETELY before decorating. I can’t tell you how sad it is to see your frosting melt and slip off. Go back and watch the Great British Baking Show Cake Week episodes to get the idea. It’s an easily avoidable bummer!
- Test with a toothpick! The toothpick should have a few crumbs stuck to it (that means your cupcakes are nice and moist), but should not have any visible batter.
- Make your cupcakes look as cute as a lovely spring garden. There’s no clearer sign of spring than flowers, so try incorporating some edible blooms into your decorating!
- Can I make these orange chocolate cupcakes in advance? Sure! Feel free to bake and decorate these Easter cupcakes up to 3 days in advance. Keep them in an airtight container for best results.
- Can I make these dairy free? Absolutely! Simply reach for your favorite plant-based milk to turn into buttermilk and use dairy-free butter.
- What if I want to add coloring to the white chocolate frosting? Want to make your frosting look like grass? I suggest using gel food coloring to prevent the frosting from getting too loose. You can also feel free to use a multi-opening piping tip (Wilton 233) to actually get individual strands of grass.
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