500 Cupcakes (29 page)

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans.

Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

Leave 2/3 of the frosting white. Tint the other 1/3 ocean blue. For each cupcake: Frost 2/3 of the top with white frosting and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs for the beach. Frost the other 1/3 with blue frosting, creating “waves” with a knife. Lay the candy on the diagonal across the “sand” for a beach towel and insert the parasol at an angle to make the beach umbrella.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen

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Snipped-on-the-diagonal miniature marshmallows, cut sides dipped in colored sugar, form the petals on these flowery cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans. Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

Tint the frosting yellow. For each cupcake: Frost the top. Place a lemon gumdrop in the center. Snip each miniature marshmallow in half lengthwise, press cut side in yellow sugar, and arrange sugared side up around the gumdrop like petals.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen

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These colorful cupcakes could be a big hit at a children’s party. Choose sugar cones with a pointed end.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans. Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack. Keep the frosting white. For each cupcake: Frost the top. Melt the white chocolate chips. Lightly brush it over the outside of each sugar cone and roll in colored sprinkles. Let set. Tint Moldable White Chocolate red, divide it into 18 pieces. Pinch off a small portion from each piece and roll into a ball. Roll the rest of the piece into a 16-inch-long rope on a confectioners’ sugar-dusted surface. Place the sugar cone firmly in the center of each cupcake and secure the red ball on the pointed end. Loop the rope around the circumference of the cone to make clown hair. Scatter more colored sprinkles on the frosting.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen

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variations

Inject a little mystery into your cupcake art.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Place 18 paper baking cups in muffin pans. Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

Keep the frosting white. For each cupcake: Frost the top. Using a black gel icing tube, draw three concentric circles radiating out from the center of the cupcake. With a knife, draw across the frosting and icing in four places to create the spider web. Place a large licorice gumdrop in the center of the cupcake. Cut each pipe cleaner into 8 pieces and fold in half to create legs. Arrange the legs around the gumdrop.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen

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Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still have a garden atop a cupcake.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Place 18 paper baking cups into muffin pans. Combine all the cupcake ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pale, about 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the batter into the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool on the rack. To make the frosting, gently heat the chocolate, milk, and butter in a small, heavy saucepan, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat and beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Frost the top of each cupcake, and sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Arrange two parallel rows of green coconut. Split the fondant frosting into thirds, and tint each a different color. Shape carrots from orange and green fondant frosting. Shape cauliflowers from green fondant frosting, decorate with sugar pearls, and arrange on top of each cupcake. Shape a shovel from brown frosting — use a toothpick to support the shaft, and position the shovel on each cupcake.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen

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variations

For a little girl’s birthday party or a bridal shower, these doll cupcakes can be customized with frosting colors and decorations. Mini dolls on picks are available at craft stores and cake decorating shops.