Carrots and Dirt Cupcakes

With Easter quickly approaching, I really wanted to make a festive dessert.  You know me in cupcakes, so I thought I would do a nod to Easter and spring with these carrots and dirt cupcakes.  I was originally calling them carrot cupcakes but, I think that was a bit deceiving since they really are chocolate cupcakes, not carrot.  

Anyway, I brought them to my Seester's moms' house, Grandma Sandy as we call her, for our traditional Palm Sunday brunch.  They were a hit with everyone from our 4 year old nieces to 84 year old Mimi! :)  

While a bit labor intensive, they are totally doable.  I mean, I made these in an afternoon with a 7 month old baby at home who doesn't nap!  If I can do it, so can you.    

 Start out by baking chocolate cupcakes.  You can use this recipe or a boxed mix.  Up to you and honestly, you won't be able to tell.  No shame in using a boxed mix with this one since you will be doing a lot to the cupcake itself.

So once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, using a sharp knife, cut a little cone out of the middle.  This will unfortunately require you to eat 24 mini cupcake cones.

 Once you cut the cones out, pipe a ring of chocolate frosting around the outer edge.  This is to adhere the "dirt."

 Gently dip the cupcake frosting side down, in crushed Oreo cookies aka dirt

 Like so

 Fill the hole with orange buttercream frosting being sure to put more pressure at the beginning and less as you go up to make a carrot shape.  This took a bit of practice to get the feel of it but really, it wasn't difficult.

 Then using green buttercream frosting, pipe on the stems (leaves?) of the carrot.  I was planning to use fresh mint which would be perfect (hello chocolate and mint) but our little hometown grocery store didn't have any fresh mint.

 And that's it, adorable little carrot cupcakes.

 My niece, Ava, thought they were pumpkins until...

 You cut or bite these adorable babies in half!  Boom, carrots and dirt cupcakes.

Happy Easter!


24 baked chocolate cupcakes (you can use this or a boxed mix) 
Chocolate Buttercream (recipe follows)
Vanilla Buttercream, divided (recipe follows)
12 Oreo Cookies, creme removed (gasp!), and pulverized in a food processor

For the Chocolate Buttercream

1/2 cup room temperature butter 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 2/3 cup powdered sugar 

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (I suggest heavy cream) 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes.  Scrape the sides.  

While the butter and vanilla combine, take a medium, sized bowl and combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Give it a quick stir.  

Once the butter and vanilla are done mixing, slowly add in the dry ingredients.  Once those are added, pour in the milk or cream and whip for at least 2 minutes on medium high.

For the Vanilla Buttercream

1 cup room temperature butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk or heavy cream (I suggest heavy cream)

Orange, green and yellow food coloring

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes.  Scrape the sides.  

While the butter and vanilla combine, take a medium, sized bowl and combine the powdered sugar and salt.  Give it a quick stir.  

Once the butter and vanilla are done mixing, slowly add in the dry ingredients.  Once those are added, pour in the milk or cream and whip for at least 2 minutes on medium high.

Take 1/4 of the frosting out of the mixing bowl and set aside.  Using the orange food coloring, color the frosting until it is the orange hue you like.  I thought a bright orange was nice!  Stir with the mixer and scrape to ensure an even color.  Set aside for now.  

Then color the remaining 1/4 of reserved frosting.  I just mixed it in a small bowl, adding the green and a few drops of yellow food coloring until I reached a vibrant green. 

To Assemble

Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, take a sharp paring knife and cut out a little cone in the middle of the cupcake.  This will create the underground part of the carrot.  Frost a ring around the hole with the chocolate buttercream.  Dip the frosted part of the cupcake into the Oreo dust, covering all of the chocolate buttercream. 

Fill a pastry bag (or large zip top bag) with the orange vanilla buttercream.  Snip a medium-sized hole in one corner and pipe into the hole of the cupcake.  Fill the hole and create a small mound onto the top to create the top of the carrot.  

Fill a separate pastry bag (or zip top bag) with the green vanilla buttercream.  Snip a small-sized hole in one corner and pipe the leaves/tops of the carrots.  

That's all!  

Enjoy!!!