A chirping trio of newly hatched birds is a charming ode to a baby’s pending arrival (or first birthday). The buttercream bluebirds and coconut nest are perched atop cupcakes frosted with chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
- 12 Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes or White Cupcakes
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- Yellow and light-blue gel-paste food colors
- 1½cups sweetened shredded coconut (about 5 ounces), lightly toasted
How to Make It
- Reserve 1 teaspoon melted chocolate for decorating. Fold remaining chocolate into 2 cups buttercream with a flexible spatula. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate buttercream in a smooth layer over each cupcake.
- Tint ½ cup remaining buttercream bright yellow with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small V-leaf tip. Tint remaining buttercream blue. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip.
- Pipe three small blue mounds (about ¾ inch in diameter) for bluebird heads onto each cupcake. Pipe tiny yellow beaks on each head. With a toothpick, paint on melted-chocolate eyes. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 1 day in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before proceeding.
- To finish, form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut, patting it into frosting around edge of cupcake with your fingertips.