Easter Basket Cupcakes

These festive little cupcakes will delight young and old alike.

I like to fill my baskets with strawberry cake, but you can use whatever flavor cake you choose - be creative!

You'll Need:
1 recipe of cake batter
1-2 boxes ice cream cones (depending upon how many you want to make)
1 recipe of buttercream or cream cheese frosting (ready-made will work too)
green food coloring
coconut (optional)
tiny jelly beans
pastel pipe cleaners

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Fill 2 standard cupcake pans with ice cream cones.  I usually buy more cones, than I need just in case a few are cracked or crushed.

Prepare your cake batter.  Carefully spoon the batter into each ice cream cone, filling them to about 1/2 inch from the rim.  

Bake according to your recipe's directions for cupcakes (usually about 20 - 30 minutes).  I ALWAYS check the centers for doneness with a toothpick.  If the batter spills over the top and down the side of a cone, don't worry about it.  Just pick it off when the cake cools.

Frost the top of each cone. I use a basic buttercream, or cream cheese frosting, and tint it green with a drop of food coloring.

To tint your coconut, put a drop or two of food color in a medium size plastic container.  Add a cup or so of coconut, leaving at east two inches of headspace.  Cover the container with a lid, and shake it. The food color with turn your coconut green.

Decorate the frosted tops with coconut and candy.  Finally, insert your pipe cleaners. Happy Easter!