Easter Basket Cupcakes

1. Stage

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Editor's Tip: You can cream butter and sugar by hand, but it takes elbow grease. I always use my handheld mixer to conserve energy for other activities—like eating my baking creations!

2. Stage

Add the egg and orange zest to the creamed butter. Beat until they're well incorporated.

3. Stage

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Editor's Tip: If your flour has clumped, sift it with the other dry ingredients to aerate and remove lumps.

4. Stage

Add a third of the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, and beat them until combined. Add approximately half of the buttermilk and beat again. Repeat until all the dry ingredients and buttermilk have been added to the creamed mixture. Editor's Tip: Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions to ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated.

5. Stage

Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full with cupcake batter. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Editor's Tip: A large ice cream scoop is handy for portioning equal amounts of batter in each cupcake liner.

6. Stage

Cool the cupcakes in the muffin tins for 10 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

7. Stage

In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Editor's Tip: An offset spatula makes creating an even and smooth layer of frosting easy, but the back of a spoon or a butter knife works in a pinch.

8. Stage

Combine one teaspoon of water and four drops of green food coloring in a large bowl. Add the shredded coconut and stir until the coconut is evenly coated with color. Editor's Tip: Lightly press down on the coconut to help it adhere to the frosting.

9. Stage

Sprinkle the colored coconut over the cupcakes. Use a metal or wooden skewer to poke two holes in the tops of the cupcakes, one on each side of each cupcake. Cut licorice twists into 6-inch strips and insert each end of a licorice piece into the holes to create the basket handles. Decorate the cupcakes with candy eggs.