Your Grandmother's Bunny Nest Coconut Carrot Cake Cupcakes

We had a surplus of carrots at Casa de Potter, so I decided to whip up some carrot cupcakes yesterday.  It was an epic task, the entire family got involved.  Then of course, we had to decorate them and take some fun pics.  The topiary is a project on my blog today, so if you'd like one of your own do visit and get the 411!  I used a traditional recipe, but added a little more spice to the mix.  The Bunny Nest is my idea, an excuse to buy several bags of jelly beans.  No, really.  We died the coconut and the talented Ms. Avalon Potter made these charming fondant carrots...how cute are these?!

If you'd like to learn how to make the 'retrofabulous' topiary, here's the 411!

Here's the recipe:

(Makes 24 cupcakes)

Make Cupcakes:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3 cups finely grated carrots
1/2 cup flake sweetened coconut
Optionally 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Mix sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs until thoroughly blended.  Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice.  Slowly add to blended ingredients beating until smooth.  Stir in carrots, coconut and nuts.  Pour into muffin cups.  Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes.


Make Frosting
1 package (80 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Wilton icing colors soft pink

Blend butter and cream cheese until creamy, add vanilla.  Gradually add powdered sugar mixing until smooth.  I added a dash of pink food coloring, just a tiny dab will do!

Make Coconut Topping
2 cups coconut
1 dash Wilton icing colors soft pink

Place coconut in plastic bag.  Add food coloring and a splash of water.  Mix until coconut is evenly colored.

Decorate Cupcakes
1 bag jelly beans
Fondant
Wilton icing colors orange and green
Coconut topping

To make carrots, mix a small amount of fondant (1 cup) with orange food coloring and a smaller amount (1/2 cup) with green food coloring.  This is potent color, so a little goes a long way!  Form carrots by hand, adding green stem to top and using butter knife to create three creases in each carrot.

Frost cupcakes and dip in coconut.  Add five colored jelly beans and one carrot to each cupcake.