Ravenous Bunny Cupcakes

Happy Easter! I wanted to post these at daybreak, but the last few days I was running on a pretty tight schedule and had so little time. Does that scenario resound with anyone else?

After a very fit Easter brunch of appam and beef mappas, I will be serving these very appealing cupcakes. I came across these ahh-dor-able topped delights on another blog and knew I was destined to make them. So it came to be that in the stead of hot cross buns I'd create some very endearing bunny buns for Easter. Irresistible, right?

The inspiration and instructions for the "Ravenous Rabbit " cupcakes come from the delightful blog, Hungry Happenings, I loved Beth's creative genius imagining up these doubled- over thumpers digging amidst well -strewn carrot patches.

The bodies, tails and feet were rather fun to make. The carrots were challenging at first to mold, but became second nature after I reached the gazillion mark (joking, probably about 200 for 12 cupcakes- more if you want it your cups brimming).

The recipe I used for the cupcakes come from my chocolate cake recipe here. Below I have included the chocolate buttercream recipe. I used marshmallow fondant that I made for modelling my figures  (recipe below).

The hula skirted one was my own idea. I felt you needed to have a feminine presence amidst the majority of macho tushies :-)

After this project, I think I might join a local pottery molding class- ah, the endless possibilities that come with food blogging.

Chocolate(buttercream) frosting ingredients :

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp cream
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

• Cream butter for a few minutes in mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. 
• Turn off the mixer.
• Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. 
• Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients don't fly everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. 
• Increase mixer speed to medium, add vanilla extract, cream and salt, beat for 3 minutes until all ingredients are incorporated and frosting has a creamy, smooth texture. 

Marshmallow fondant ingredients :

• 4 cups loosely packed mini marshmallows
• 2 tbsp water
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting
• 2 tbsp vegetable shortening for greasing hands and workspace

 Fondant prep and roll:

To make marshmallow fondant, place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 1 minute on high; stir until marshmallows are melted and blended. 

Place confectioners' sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture in the bowl. Fold sugar into marshmallow mixture with a shortening greased wooden spoon. Place shortening nearby your workspace so you can reach into it with fingers. 

Grease hands and counter generously. Dust counter with extra powdered sugar. 
Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter, it will be sticky. 
Knead like you would dough,  until fondant pulls into a firm, smooth ball, that can stretch with no tearing. Add enough confectioners' sugar in between to avoid sticking, 

If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, add 1/2 tsp of water at a time 

Always cover fondant with plastic wrap. Any unused fondant can be stored in double plastic wrap so it does not dry and crack.

I made 2 batches of fondant  for this project, one left uncolored and the others divided and colored orange, pink and green with gel food coloring.

Have your figures assembled and ready before you frost the cupcakes. 

The making of the ravenous bunny and his tempting carrots: 

 Divide fondant according to need, you will need to make lots of carrots, so have a sizable amount colored orange. Divide more for pink and then green. For coloring fondant, see this.

You will need all the white fondant for 12 big balls for bodies, slightly smaller balls for 12 tails, and 24 even smaller pieces to shape into feet, you also need 24 peg sized pieces for legs to attach feet onto. 

For the feet markings, use pink fondant, I rolled out a thin tiny log of pink fondant and cut off very small pieces for the top paw marks. If you have the # 6 round Wilton tip, use the smaller end to make cut out rounds. For the larger  print, the smaller end of the  #12 Wilton tip can be used.

And if you're decorating 12 cupcakes, you will need 72  of those tiny rounds and 24 large  rounds for the feet markings.

With the orange fondant, mold several carrots, indent on sides. Poke a hole with a toothpick in the  top center of the carrot and there insert a very small roll of green, which you later and very carefully cut apart and shape into leaves. 

As glue, I used water and applied it with a toothpick. You could use a fine brush, solely used for food too. 

Assembly:
Feet: After flattening and shaping feet, place pink discs as markings, big marking near one end and 3 smaller ones above it.
Form rounded bodies with roughly tablespoonful of fondant and place a pea sized round tail, (slightly fluffed and pulled) out on top, assemble feet onto the two pegs as legs towards lower part of bunny bottom.
Place bunny on top of frosted cupcake, use carrots(some with green stems and some without) to fill up sides.
Wilton cupcake wrappers in the picket fence design were used to wrap cupcakes.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead ..." Matthew 28:5,6,7 

Have a very wonderful Easter weekend, flooded with the hope that comes from that empty tomb.