Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• For the cupcakes:
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 2 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2/3 c. buttermilk
• For the frosting:
• 2 sticks butter
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1 t. meringue powder
• 1 t. vanilla
• For decorations:
• 1 chocolate bar
• 72 candy bird’s eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of this mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.
4. Stir in the milk and then add the remaining flour, mixing until just blended.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the 24 muffin cups. Fill each one ⅔ of the way full.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
7. Meanwhile, beat the butter with a hand mixer. Beat in the vanilla and meringue powder. On low, mix in the powdered sugar, gradually coming up to high speed and mixing for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture comes together as a thick frosting.
8. Top each cupcake with frosting. Then using a vegetable peeler, shave the chocolate bar into twig like pieces. Sprinkle on top of the cupcakes in a nest pattern. Take the candy bird’s eggs and put a dab of frosting on each one and set it on top of the bird’s nest.

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