You’re looking at the sweetest veggie garden you’ll see this spring. Celebrate the season with these Vegetable Garden Cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes are topped with chocolate frosting, crushed Oreo cookies and garnished with a royal icing vegetable. How adorable are these? I can’t wait to serve them this Easter!

I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe for these cupcakes, and it is to-die-for. This is the chocolate cake you’ve been searching for and the chocolate cake of your dreams. It’s the chocolate cake that my family asks me to make at birthdays. The chocolate cake that I sneak a piece of at breakfast. And lunch. And in the middle of the night. Then the frosting. That is fabulous too. It has the right amour of sweetness and chocolately flavor but it isn’t too fudge-like, which I enjoy. Give these pint sized cakes a try this Easter… your family will thank you.

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Ingredients

CUPCAKES

• 1 1/3 cup purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

FROSTING

• 2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DECOR

• 1 cup crushed Oreo cookies
• Royal icing vegetables, can be found at craft stores or online

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool.
4. To make frosting, in a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa, and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with milk. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar.
6. Sprinkle cupcakes with crushed cookies and top with royal icing vegetables.