{Recipe} Bird's Nest Cupcakes

This post is sponsored by HERSHEY's and Global Influence. Thank you for supporting our family and blog by enjoying these cupcakes!

Can you smell that? Spring is in the air!

Winter is always rough at our house. Lots of illnesses and this mommy isn't particularly a fan of snow. So when spring starts to hint that it's on the way, I get excited!

I always feel like once we reach Easter, we have officially left winter far behind.

Back in October, HERSHEY'S asked if I would create something with their candy for Halloween. Last month, they came back and asked if I would create something else to celebrate Easter and the coming spring. 

I decided to make a bird's nest nestled in grass on a cupcake. I think the bird's nest perfectly represents spring and what Easter means. As a Christian, Easter is an important day for me because it is the day that Jesus gave His life, so that I could be saved and have a new life through Him. The eggs represent new life that we celebrate on Easter.

Hopefully, you follow the logic behind my Easter/Spring Bird's Nest Cupcakes!

And they aren't hard to make either! Ready for some step-by-step instructions? (Side Note: Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for a chance to win a HERSHEY'S Easter Prize Pack full of candy for your family!)

First of all, mix up a batch of your favorite cupcakes. I went with a lemon cupcake because I love citrus flavored goods in the spring/summer. But you can also just grab a box mix from the store if that's more your speed. No judgement here!

While those are baking, we are going to start working on our bird's nests.

In a heat-proof bowl, microwave the HERSHEY'S Chocolate Chips, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.

Take a spoon, and drop about 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate on wax paper.

Working quickly, use the tip of the spoon to create a well in the middle of the chocolate. Don't worry about making sure there is chocolate on the bottom of your nest. The important part is making sure the chocolate builds up a bit on the sides.

Once your nests are made, slide your tray into the refrigerator to set.

Now, get your grass icing tip. I used a Wilton #233 tip for my cupcakes. Place your green icing in a decorator's bag and attach the tip to it.

This is all you need to make a grassy cupcake.

Start by pressing and releasing your decorator's bag to pipe a fringe of icing around the edge of your cupcake. Perfection isn't necessary. Just pipe away and have fun with it. If you notice a bare spot, just pipe right over it with more grass.

Move in towards the center and pipe another layer of icing all the way around.

And now, just pipe a few more blades of grass to cover the middle.

Your bird's nest should be set by now. Place a nest on top of your cupcake. The fresh icing will act as a glue to hold your nest in place.

Now add just enough icing to the center of the nest to "glue" your CADBURY Mini Eggs in place. I added three little eggs to center of each nest.

And done! How easy and cute is that?

Bird's Nest Cupcakes

What you will need:

• Two Dozen Cupcakes - Your Choice of Flavor!
• One Big Batch of Buttercream Icing
• Green Food Coloring - I used Wilton Gel Food Coloring, Leaf Green
• Wilton Grass Tip 233
• Two Cups of HERSHEY'S Chocolate Chips
• One Bag of CADBURY Mini Eggs

1. Bake your cupcakes.

2. Using a heat-proof bowl, melt the HERSHEY'S chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.

3. Drop 2-3 teaspoons of melted chocolate on wax paper. Using a spoon, create a well in the middle of each chocolate dollop. Place the completed bird's nests in the refrigerator to set.

4. Using the grass tip, pipe grass in layers around each cupcake. Start from the outside edge and work your way toward the center.

5. Place a set chocolate bird's nest in the middle of each cupcake.

6. Add a small amount of icing to the center of the bird's nest to act like "glue." Add three CADBURY Mini Eggs in each nest. 

7. Enjoy!

If you need a quick and easy buttercream recipe, just beat two softened sticks of butter on low speed for 30 seconds until fluffy. Add one 2 lb bag of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of milk, and 4 teaspoons of vanilla to your bowl, and whip until fluffy. Add food coloring until you have the color you want. If it seems a little thick, you can add extra milk in 1 Tbsp increments until you get your desired consistency. This batch make enough to ice 2 dozen cupcakes.

If you need extra Easter dessert inspiration, make sure you check out the Celebrate with Hershey's website!

Oh...and, hey! How would you like a fun HERSHEY'S surprise in the mail? 

~Giveaway!~

HERSHEY'S is sending one of my readers a prize pack full of candy so that you can create your own Easter memories! Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Winning entries will be validated prior to announcing the winner with an alternate drawn if the entries cannot be verified.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The contest ends at 11:59pm on Monday, March 17th. The winner(s) will be randomly chosen, contacted by email, and will have 48 hours to respond to the email with their information so that the prize can be forwarded to them. A Beautiful Ruckus is not responsible for the delivery of the prize and is not responsible if the sponsor does not deliver. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States. A Beautiful Ruckus was compensated for writing this sponsored post by HERSHEY'S and Global Influence, however all opinions are 100% original and authentic. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

This post is sponsored by HERSHEY's and Global Influence. Thank you for supporting our family and blog by enjoying these cupcakes!

Can you smell that? Spring is in the air!

Winter is always rough at our house. Lots of illnesses and this mommy isn't particularly a fan of snow. So when spring starts to hint that it's on the way, I get excited!

I always feel like once we reach Easter, we have officially left winter far behind.

Back in October, HERSHEY'S asked if I would create something with their candy for Halloween. Last month, they came back and asked if I would create something else to celebrate Easter and the coming spring. 

I decided to make a bird's nest nestled in grass on a cupcake. I think the bird's nest perfectly represents spring and what Easter means. As a Christian, Easter is an important day for me because it is the day that Jesus gave His life, so that I could be saved and have a new life through Him. The eggs represent new life that we celebrate on Easter.

Hopefully, you follow the logic behind my Easter/Spring Bird's Nest Cupcakes!

And they aren't hard to make either! Ready for some step-by-step instructions? (Side Note: Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for a chance to win a HERSHEY'S Easter Prize Pack full of candy for your family!)

First of all, mix up a batch of your favorite cupcakes. I went with a lemon cupcake because I love citrus flavored goods in the spring/summer. But you can also just grab a box mix from the store if that's more your speed. No judgement here!

While those are baking, we are going to start working on our bird's nests.

In a heat-proof bowl, microwave the HERSHEY'S Chocolate Chips, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.

Take a spoon, and drop about 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate on wax paper.

Working quickly, use the tip of the spoon to create a well in the middle of the chocolate. Don't worry about making sure there is chocolate on the bottom of your nest. The important part is making sure the chocolate builds up a bit on the sides.

Once your nests are made, slide your tray into the refrigerator to set.

Now, get your grass icing tip. I used a Wilton #233 tip for my cupcakes. Place your green icing in a decorator's bag and attach the tip to it.

This is all you need to make a grassy cupcake.

Start by pressing and releasing your decorator's bag to pipe a fringe of icing around the edge of your cupcake. Perfection isn't necessary. Just pipe away and have fun with it. If you notice a bare spot, just pipe right over it with more grass.

Move in towards the center and pipe another layer of icing all the way around.

And now, just pipe a few more blades of grass to cover the middle.

Your bird's nest should be set by now. Place a nest on top of your cupcake. The fresh icing will act as a glue to hold your nest in place.

Now add just enough icing to the center of the nest to "glue" your CADBURY Mini Eggs in place. I added three little eggs to center of each nest.

And done! How easy and cute is that?

Bird's Nest Cupcakes

What you will need:

• Two Dozen Cupcakes - Your Choice of Flavor!
• One Big Batch of Buttercream Icing
• Green Food Coloring - I used Wilton Gel Food Coloring, Leaf Green
• Wilton Grass Tip 233
• Two Cups of HERSHEY'S Chocolate Chips
• One Bag of CADBURY Mini Eggs

1. Bake your cupcakes.

2. Using a heat-proof bowl, melt the HERSHEY'S chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.

3. Drop 2-3 teaspoons of melted chocolate on wax paper. Using a spoon, create a well in the middle of each chocolate dollop. Place the completed bird's nests in the refrigerator to set.

4. Using the grass tip, pipe grass in layers around each cupcake. Start from the outside edge and work your way toward the center.

5. Place a set chocolate bird's nest in the middle of each cupcake.

6. Add a small amount of icing to the center of the bird's nest to act like "glue." Add three CADBURY Mini Eggs in each nest. 

7. Enjoy!

If you need a quick and easy buttercream recipe, just beat two softened sticks of butter on low speed for 30 seconds until fluffy. Add one 2 lb bag of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of milk, and 4 teaspoons of vanilla to your bowl, and whip until fluffy. Add food coloring until you have the color you want. If it seems a little thick, you can add extra milk in 1 Tbsp increments until you get your desired consistency. This batch make enough to ice 2 dozen cupcakes.

If you need extra Easter dessert inspiration, make sure you check out the Celebrate with Hershey's website!

Oh...and, hey! How would you like a fun HERSHEY'S surprise in the mail? 

~Giveaway!~

HERSHEY'S is sending one of my readers a prize pack full of candy so that you can create your own Easter memories! Please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Winning entries will be validated prior to announcing the winner with an alternate drawn if the entries cannot be verified.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The contest ends at 11:59pm on Monday, March 17th. The winner(s) will be randomly chosen, contacted by email, and will have 48 hours to respond to the email with their information so that the prize can be forwarded to them. A Beautiful Ruckus is not responsible for the delivery of the prize and is not responsible if the sponsor does not deliver. This giveaway is open to residents of the United States. A Beautiful Ruckus was compensated for writing this sponsored post by HERSHEY'S and Global Influence, however all opinions are 100% original and authentic. For more info, please see my disclaimer page.

Spiced Apple Cider Cupcakes with Spiced Apple Cider Buttercream

Some people say that cupcakes aren't in vogue anymore. Whatever! I don't think cupcakes will ever lose their appeal to me. They are cute, individual, and, heck, one could even say they are portion controlled. In my book, cupcakes are where it's at!

Besides, yesterday was my birthday, and I feel like celebrating with a delicious fall cupcake recipe. And everyone knows the rules when it comes to birthdays. The birthday girl always gets to pick the dessert!

 

This Spiced Apple Cider Cupcake with Spiced Apple Cider Buttercream pulls in all that is perfect about fall: the scent of cinnamon, the bite of apple, and the sweet swirls of vanilla all wrapped up in a super moist cupcake. Really, I dare you to come up with a cupcake that says, "autumn" more than this one does!

Spiced Apple Cider Cupcakes

makes 2 dozen cupcakes

• 1 cup butter
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 3 whole eggs + 3 yolks
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• ¾ cup of apple cider
• ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar for several minutes until very well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Stir in apple cider and applesauce.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Wisk together to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients one cup at a time. Mix as little as possible to avoid activating the gluten in the flour.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full of batter and bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.

Cool, frost with the Spiced Apple Cider Buttercream, sprinkle a touch of ground cinnamon on top, and insert half of a cinnamon stick off to the side for garnish.

Spiced Apple Cider Buttercream

frosts 1 dozen cupcakes (so double this if necessary!)

• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup of apple cider
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3 ¾ cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

I do a lot of baking and often use the ladies at church as guinea pigs when working on new recipes. They've tried quite a few cupcakes over the past few years, but this one seems to be a favorite. One of my friends said, "Of all of the cupcakes that you've made, I think this is my favorite one!"

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Some people say that cupcakes aren't in vogue anymore. Whatever! I don't think cupcakes will ever lose their appeal to me. They are cute, individual, and, heck, one could even say they are portion controlled. In my book, cupcakes are where it's at!

Besides, yesterday was my birthday, and I feel like celebrating with a delicious fall cupcake recipe. And everyone knows the rules when it comes to birthdays. The birthday girl always gets to pick the dessert!

 

This Spiced Apple Cider Cupcake with Spiced Apple Cider Buttercream pulls in all that is perfect about fall: the scent of cinnamon, the bite of apple, and the sweet swirls of vanilla all wrapped up in a super moist cupcake. Really, I dare you to come up with a cupcake that says, "autumn" more than this one does!

Spiced Apple Cider Cupcakes

makes 2 dozen cupcakes

• 1 cup butter
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 3 whole eggs + 3 yolks
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• ¾ cup of apple cider
• ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar for several minutes until very well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Stir in apple cider and applesauce.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Wisk together to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients one cup at a time. Mix as little as possible to avoid activating the gluten in the flour.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full of batter and bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.

Cool, frost with the Spiced Apple Cider Buttercream, sprinkle a touch of ground cinnamon on top, and insert half of a cinnamon stick off to the side for garnish.

Spiced Apple Cider Buttercream

frosts 1 dozen cupcakes (so double this if necessary!)

• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup of apple cider
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3 ¾ cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

I do a lot of baking and often use the ladies at church as guinea pigs when working on new recipes. They've tried quite a few cupcakes over the past few years, but this one seems to be a favorite. One of my friends said, "Of all of the cupcakes that you've made, I think this is my favorite one!"

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Mummy Marshmallow Pops

I have one more fun Halloween themed post before we finish up for the year. If you are getting ready for a Trunk or Treat or a Halloween party, these are easy and unique! You'll definitely give the other parents' who bring candy a run for their money. :)

For this simple, but cute craft, all you will need are:

• Sucker/Candy sticks
• Candy Melts (Orange and White)
• Candy Eyes
• A little bit of Vegetable Shortening

I should start by saying that I hate making cake pops. I've made them a few times, and have lamented that decision each time. They are tricky and temperamental, and take f-o-r-e-v-e-r. These are much easier and come together far more easily! Just use marshmallows in place of cake. The dipping part is exactly the same as cake pops, so if you are familiar with those, this will be even easier. If not, read on for the directions!

Pour some orange candy melts and add a good dollop of vegetable shortening into a deep bowl or measuring cup. I typically use about two cups of candy melts to 1-2 tablespoons of shortening.

Microwave the candy melts and shortening in thirty second increments, alternating with stirring. Only microwave the candy until it melts because it is possible to overheat it. If you need to add a little more shortening to make it dippable, go for it. The ratio isn't absolute.

Once it's all melted, dip the tip of your stick in the candy.

Then insert it into a marshmallow. The candy will help the marshmallow stay on the stick.

Then dip the whole marshmallow into the melted candy. Make sure the candy coats the entire marshmallow so that it stays fresh. A knife is handy if you need to help coating everything.

Then you will end up with a bunch of candy covered marshmallows that look like this! Tip: I have a block of styrofoam that I use for these projects. It keeps the pops upright and is very cheap to pick up at a craft store.

Yay! Now to quickly finish these off, take a handful of white candy melts and another small dollop of shortening and put them in a piping bag or freezer bag. Melt the candy in the microwave, squeezing the candy every thirty seconds until the candy is melted and mixed with the shortening. Snip a very tiny corner off of the bag.

Squeeze the white candy melts around the orange candy covered marshmallows to look like mummy bandages. Then add two eyes to the still warm white candy. They will stick right on!

Once they dry, you can store them in a container or ziplock bag until you are ready to serve them. To make a fun centerpiece, layer great northern beans and black beans in a clear jar or vase, and then add the pops to it. The beans hold them up without any trouble.

If handing them out, put them in little individual candy bags to make it easier for guests to take home. Please note that you should never accept homemade treats from someone you do not know, and should never give homemade treats to families that don't know you. These are best for parties, potlucks, and other gatherings where homemade food is normal. :)

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

I have one more fun Halloween themed post before we finish up for the year. If you are getting ready for a Trunk or Treat or a Halloween party, these are easy and unique! You'll definitely give the other parents' who bring candy a run for their money. :)

For this simple, but cute craft, all you will need are:

• Sucker/Candy sticks
• Candy Melts (Orange and White)
• Candy Eyes
• A little bit of Vegetable Shortening

I should start by saying that I hate making cake pops. I've made them a few times, and have lamented that decision each time. They are tricky and temperamental, and take f-o-r-e-v-e-r. These are much easier and come together far more easily! Just use marshmallows in place of cake. The dipping part is exactly the same as cake pops, so if you are familiar with those, this will be even easier. If not, read on for the directions!

Pour some orange candy melts and add a good dollop of vegetable shortening into a deep bowl or measuring cup. I typically use about two cups of candy melts to 1-2 tablespoons of shortening.

Microwave the candy melts and shortening in thirty second increments, alternating with stirring. Only microwave the candy until it melts because it is possible to overheat it. If you need to add a little more shortening to make it dippable, go for it. The ratio isn't absolute.

Once it's all melted, dip the tip of your stick in the candy.

Then insert it into a marshmallow. The candy will help the marshmallow stay on the stick.

Then dip the whole marshmallow into the melted candy. Make sure the candy coats the entire marshmallow so that it stays fresh. A knife is handy if you need to help coating everything.

Then you will end up with a bunch of candy covered marshmallows that look like this! Tip: I have a block of styrofoam that I use for these projects. It keeps the pops upright and is very cheap to pick up at a craft store.

Yay! Now to quickly finish these off, take a handful of white candy melts and another small dollop of shortening and put them in a piping bag or freezer bag. Melt the candy in the microwave, squeezing the candy every thirty seconds until the candy is melted and mixed with the shortening. Snip a very tiny corner off of the bag.

Squeeze the white candy melts around the orange candy covered marshmallows to look like mummy bandages. Then add two eyes to the still warm white candy. They will stick right on!

Once they dry, you can store them in a container or ziplock bag until you are ready to serve them. To make a fun centerpiece, layer great northern beans and black beans in a clear jar or vase, and then add the pops to it. The beans hold them up without any trouble.

If handing them out, put them in little individual candy bags to make it easier for guests to take home. Please note that you should never accept homemade treats from someone you do not know, and should never give homemade treats to families that don't know you. These are best for parties, potlucks, and other gatherings where homemade food is normal. :)

Have a fun and safe Halloween!