These easy Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes take a simple cupcake recipe and turns it into a special dessert for your Easter table.

Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes perfect Easter dessert


 

These super easy Easter cupcakes are a fun, fancy dessert you can make for your Easter brunch or dinner without any experience at all.

They start with a box of devil’s food cake mix and a can of frosting but of course you’re always welcome to use your favorite homemade cake recipe and chocolate frosting recipe. So it’s a great recipe whether you are a beginning baker or if you’ve been baking for years.

Whether you are hosting an entire Easter dinner or just want to take a treat to the family gathering, these marshmallow cream-filled chocolate cupcakes will disappear right before your eyes.

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Do I Have to Use Devil’s Food Cake to Make The Cupcakes?

No, it’s not required to use Devil’s food cake mix, we just LOVE the flavor and texture. Feel free to try other varieties of cake mixes or use your favorite homemade chocolate cake, or devil’s food cake recipe for the cupcakes.

You don’t even have to use chocolate cake! Using french vanilla, milk chocolate, or strawberry cake would be delicious too. Just make sure you the flavor you pick works with chocolate frosting. These Easter cupcakes are so versatile and leave a lot of room for variety.

how to fill Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes

These pretty little cupcakes also have a little surprise inside. Just to make them a little more special we filled each one with a delicious marshmallow cream!

Marshmallow Cream Filling:

  1. Start by making the filling. Combine the melted butter with the marshmallow cream. Stir until the mixture is nice and smooth.
  2. To fill the cupcakes cut a circle out of the center of each one. Make sure not to go through the bottom (you don’t want the filling to come out).
  3. Take the piece you removed from the center of the cupcake and trim it so you are left with the flat top. This will be your “lid” once the cupcakes are filled. Set each lid next to the cupcake it belongs to.
  4. Use a spoon to drizzle the marshmallow filling into the hole.
  5. Once it is full place the lid over the hole.
Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes filled with marshmallows

What Do I Need to Cut the Holes in the Cupcakes?

Just a kitchen knife will do the trick when cutting the holes in the top of the cupcakes. I know I have mentioned it, but it’s very important to note that you shouldn’t cut all the way to the bottom of the cupcake when making the holes. Just to the middle or a little more is perfect and will give you a lovely marshmallow cream filled center.

how to frost Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes

Making the Bird’s Nests:

  1. Attach the tip to a piping bag and fill the bag with your chocolate frosting.
  2. Pipe the frosting around the edge of the cupcake spiraling inwards until the top of the cupcake is covered in a single layer of frosting.
  3. Continue piping around the outer edge of the cupcake until the nest is built up. Approximately 3 circles around the outer edge will give you a nice nest.
  4. Then place 3 candy eggs in the center and ta-da! You have a cute, fun and delicious Easter treat!
Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes frosting tip to make bird's nest out of frosting

What Piping Tip Do I Use?

To make your bird’s nests you’ll need a Multi-Opening Decorating Tip
(sometimes called a grass tip). If you don’t have one you could use a basic star tip.

Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes on a plate for Easter dessert

Can I Use Different Candy For The Birds Nests?

Yes, of course, you can use different candy. We love Cadbury mini chocolate eggs because they are pretty pastel colors that are perfect for spring but you could also use:

  • Mini Cadbury Creme Eggs
  • Robins Egg candies (malted milk balls)
  • Jelly beans
  • Any other egg-shaped Easter candy you love!

Don’t be afraid to try out whatever you find that looks good to you. There are no wrong answers when it comes to decorating these cute cupcakes.

Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes are chocolate frosted Easter cupcakes

How To Store Cupcakes

Use a container that seals all the way, and the lid fits well. It’s vital to keep the easy cupcakes airtight, so they don’t take on moisture. You can either refrigerate the cupcakes for up to 1 week or keep them on the counter for 3-4 days. 

It’s important to keep the cupcakes away from direct sunlight, steam from the dishwasher, or heat from the oven. If they do get exposed to heat, they will be dried out and will not taste that great.

Can I Freeze Cupcakes?

Yes! You can freeze the cupcakes before they are filled and decorated.

Wrap each cupcake up with plastic wrap. Then place them in a freezer-safe container. That way you can simply grab as many as you need whenever yo want.

When ready to use let them thaw. Once thawed, you can add frosting and enjoy!

You can also freeze the easy cupcakes with frosting on them.

You will want to skip wrapping them in plastic, so the frosting doesn’t get messed up. Just use a container that is tall enough that it’s not going to press on the frosting and keep the lid on them. Cupcakes will last in the freezer for 4 – 6 months! They are great if you want to make a large batch ahead of time, so you can have an easy dessert later. 

Note: Don’t add the Easter candies to the cupcakes until you are ready to serve.

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Servings: 24
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes

These easy Bird's Nest Easter Cupcakes take a simple cupcake recipe and turns it into a special dessert for your Easter table.
Bird’s Nest Easter Cupcakes perfect Easter dessert for kids
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

  • 15.5 ounce Box Devil's Food cake mix, plus ingredients listed on the back of the box
  • 16 ounces Chocolate frosting
  • 10.5 ounces Marshmallow Fluff
  • 6 tablespoons Butter, unsalted
  • 72 Cadbury Mini Chocolate Eggs

Instructions

Cupcakes

  • Bake cupcakes according to the instructions on the box.
  • After cupcakes have cooled completely use a sharp knife to cut a hole into each cupcake, do NOT go all the way through the bottom.
  • Save the piece that comes out of the hole and trim it so that it is a small "lid". Set next to the cupcake it came from.
  • Use a spoon to fill each hole with marshmallow cream.
  • Place the corresponding lid on top of each cupcake hole, capping off the marshmallow filling.
  • Fit your pastry bag with your tip and fill the bag with a multi-opening tip (sometimes called a grass tip) with chocolate frosting and pipe it on the top of the cupcake in a circle. Create a single layer over the top of the cupcake and then go around the outer edge of the cupcake 2 or 3 more times to build up the sides of the nest.
  • Add three candy eggs to each nest.
  • Enjoy!

Marshmallow Fluff

  • Melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • Add melted butter to 10.5 ounces of marshmallow fluff.
  • Stir until the mixture is smooth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 217kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 211mg, Potassium: 97mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 87IU, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easter cupcakes
Handwritten signature for Kat & Melinda

This recipe was originally published on April 14, 2017. It was republished with updated recipe and photos on March 18, 2020.