chocolate egg filled easter cupcakes

Mini Cream Egg Surprise Cupcakes – A Fun Easter Treat!

Spring is in the air, and Easter is just around the corner! If you're looking for a fun and festive dessert to impress your family and friends, these Cream Egg Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes are just the thing. With a rich chocolate base, a gooey Gertrude Hawk Creme Egg surprise inside, and adorable grass-like buttercream frosting topped with mini eggs, these cupcakes are almost too cute to eat—almost!

This exclusive recipe, created in partnership with our friends at Wild Flour Bakehouse, combines rich chocolate cupcakes with our delicious chocolate-filled Eggs for an unforgettable Easter treat.

Perfect for Easter baskets, spring celebrations, or just brightening someone's day, these cupcakes combine the beloved flavors of our best-selling chocolate eggs with decadent chocolate cake for a treat that's as fun to make as it is to eat.

Dive into the recipe and bring some Easter magic to your kitchen!

Recipe Details

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Decorating Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour + cooling
  • Servings: 12-14 cupcakes
  • Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

  • 1 cup (212g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/3 cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 1/2 tsp instant espresso
  • 12-14 Gertrude Hawk Chocolates Eggs (flavor of choice)

For the frosting:

  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp hot water or cream
  • Green food coloring

For decorating:

Instructions

Prepare the Cupcakes

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your cupcake tin with your preferred liners.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk your flour, sugar, baking soda and salt until well combined.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk your buttermilk and sour cream until fully combined to a custard-like consistency. Then add your egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Mix well and set aside.
  4. In another small bowl, mix your hot water and espresso powder. Measure out your cocoa powder in a separate bowl and slowly mix the hot coffee mixture into the cocoa. Set aside to cool slightly.
  5. Slowly add your buttermilk mixture to your dry ingredients. Once just barely combined, scrape the sides and add in your cocoa mixture.
  6. Mix on low or fold with a spatula until just combined. Fill your liners 3/4 way full, and place 1 Gertrude Hawk Creme Egg in the center of each, pressing down slightly.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the edge (not center where the creme egg is) comes out with some crumbs and there is no jiggle.
  8. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack as soon as possible and let cool completely before icing.

Make the Buttercream Frosting

  1. Using a whisk attachment, whip your room-temperature butter for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes white and smooth. This crucial step ensures a light, fluffy frosting without an overwhelming butter taste.
  2. Start to slowly add about a cup of powdered sugar at a time while your mixer is on low. Stop mixing as soon as the powdered sugar has combined with the butter.
  3. Add in your vanilla, salt and green food coloring. Start with a small amount of coloring and gradually add more to achieve your desired shade of Easter grass green.
  4. Turn your mixer on medium speed for 1-2 minutes and then increase to high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes more.
  5. While it whips, slowly drizzle in your warm water or cream until you reach your desired consistency. Remember that thinner frosting will be less stable for detailed piping.
  6. To remove air bubbles and create a smooth, silky buttercream, switch to a paddle attachment and let the mixer run on the lowest setting for 10-15 minutes.

Decorating Your Easter Cupcakes

  1. Transfer the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a grass tip (Wilton #233 works well).
  2. Pipe short, quick strokes to create a grassy texture on each cupcake, covering the entire top.
  3. Nestle mini chocolate eggs into the "grass" frosting.
  4. For an extra special touch, place half a Gertrude Hawk Creme Egg on top of each cupcake to hint at the surprise inside!

Recipe Success Tips

  • Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure all dairy ingredients are at room temperature for the smoothest batter and best rise.
  • Don't Overmix: Stir just until ingredients are combined to keep cupcakes tender and light.
  • Frosting Patience: The extra time spent whipping the butter for the frosting is worth it - it creates a silky, not-too-sweet frosting.
  • Perfect Placement: Center the creme eggs in each cupcake for the best surprise effect when bitten into.
  • Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.

Delicious Variations

  • Different Fillings: Try different flavors of Chocolate Eggs for new surprises in each cupcake.
  • Seasonal Colors: Change up your frosting color for different holidays - orange for Halloween, red for Valentine's Day, etc.
  • Mini Version: Make bite-sized versions using mini cupcake tins and our Teenie Poppers® as the filling.