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:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
- 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.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of this mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.
- Stir in the milk and then add the remaining flour, mixing until just blended.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 24 muffin cups. Fill each one ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
- 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.
- 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.
