Rainbow Cupcakes

Cupcake Farm - Kids' Recipes

Annabel Karmel's fun and inventive recipes are perfect for kids to make -- and eat!

Decorate your cupcakes and make the sweetest little animals.

Santa Hat Brownies

 

Yields 12-16 brownies

Ingredients:

1 pan of your favorite brownies, cooled and cut into desired size and shape (I used a round cutter)
12-16 small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
vanilla-mascarpone buttercream (recipe below)

Mascarpone Buttercream

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions:

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and mascarpone cheese until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla extract and salt.  Add 2-1/2 cups of sugar, half a cup at a time and continue beating until smooth.  Add more sugar, if needed to reach desired consistency and sweetness.
To assemble, pipe a ring of vanilla buttercream on top of each brownie.  Cut off the base of a strawberry so it is flat and place it upside down on each brownie, pushing slightly to secure in place.  Top the tip of the strawberry with a dot of buttercream to finish the santa hat.
Adapted from this recipe found on Erica’s Sweet Tooth

Baby Cupcakes

Image via Melskitchencafe.com

Yield: Makes 24-28 cupcakes.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
• 3 sticks butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature (yes, extra-large makes a difference!)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
Frosting:
• I halved the recipe below and had enough to frost 28 cupcakes plus about 2 cups to spare, so beware, this recipe makes a lot of frosting!
• 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
• 3 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes (of course this would work with a handheld mixer, also). With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in one cup of the coconut.
3. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean (don’t overbake or cupcakes will be dry!). Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.
5. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut (of course, I didn’t sprinkle the coconut on top of my baby cupcakes, but that would be a delicious alternative to making baby cupcakes).

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

Oreo Owl Cupcakes

These fun owl cupcakes caught my eye for today’s post by nicolehill.blogspot.com. 

To make an owl, pull apart an oreo cookie to make the large eyes. Use a chocolate candy for the centre, and another candy sweet for the nose.  I would probably chose ’Smarties’ sweets ( if you’re in the UK) as they come in various colours.

Place these on top of a chocolate frosted cupcake and voila! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brownie Buckeye Cupcakes Recipe

(Recipe adapted from Tried and Tasty)

 

Batter:
12-16 miniature peanut butter cups
1 box Duncan Hines® Milk Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix
3 large eggs
1/4 c water
1/2 c oil

Icing:
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Topping:
12-14 miniature peanut butter cups

Ganache (from MyBakingAddiction):
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp light corn syrup
2 tbsp vanilla

-Preheat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cups in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. Remove foil and cups from candy pieces. Set aside.
-Prepare brownie mix as described on box to make cakey brownies using the eggs, water and oil. Fill each up about 2/3 full with batter. Place 1 unwrapped candy piece, upside down, on top of batter in each cup. Lightly tap piece down into batter.
-Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cup comes out almost clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Place on wire rack; cool completely.

-Make icing by placing peanut butter and butter into medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy; scrape bowl. Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt. Beat on low speed 1 minute; scrape bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Spread about 2 tablespoons of icing on each cupcake leaving the edge un-iced.

-Prepare ganache: in a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream until very hot, but not boiling. Place chocolate pieces in a heat safe bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth and thoroughly combined. -Whisk in the honey, corn syrup, and vanilla. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Do not let the glaze sit for too long or it will harden up before you spoon it over the frosting. Spoon the glaze on the tops of the frosted cupcakes, allowing it to drip down the sides a little bit. Don’t add too much glaze or it will drip all over your liners.
-Top each cupcake with a peanut butter cup. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator. Remove them to room temperature one hour before serving.

Colorful Caterpillar Cupcake

Ingeredients

1 package vanilla cake mix

11/4 cups water

3 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Food Coloring

Buttercream Frosting

Assorted candies, candy-coated chocolate pieces, red string licorice, lollipops, and gummy worms

Preheat oven to 350 and mix all ingredients, bake for 21 to 23 minutes and let cool.

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon meringue powder

1 tablespoon milk

1 package powdered sugar

Direction

Beat butter, vanilla, and salt, next add meringue powder and milk. Gradually add powdered sugar, beat at high speed until frosting is light and fluffy! Next you can stir in food coloring until you get your desired colors.

Frost cupcakes place one cupcake on its side towards the end of serving platter. Place second cupcake on its side next to first cupcake, arrange remaining cupcakes.

Frost 1 reserved cupcake decorate with assorted candies, licorice and lollipops to create face and antennae. place plain cupcake upright at front of cupcake row for head, top with face cupcake on its side. Cut gummy worms into small pieces, attach to caterpillar body with frosting to create legs.

Enjoy!!!

Key Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cool unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 ½ tablespoons key lime juice
1 tablespoon key lime zest
1 drop green food coloring paste
¾ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
Icing:
1 stick cool unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature), cut into 8 pieces
2 ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon key lime zest

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt three times, set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low until it’s softened a bit. Add the sugar and increase the speed to medium. Beat until fluffy, about four minutes. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lime juice, zest, and food coloring and beat until mixed. (The mixture will look curdled.)

Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Mix on low until just combined. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full.
Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese icing.
Makes 12-14 cupcakes.

Icing:
Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low until it’s softened a bit. Increase speed to medium and add the cream cheese one piece at a time. Reduce speed to low and slowly add powdered sugar until combined. Beat in zest.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

These are easy to make (much easier than a layer cake, in my opinion) and just the yummiest treat.  I loved the pink wrappers and the paper straws I found for these- I think they would be such a fun shower, picnic or birthday party treat!!

INGREDIENTS:

• One box of strawberry cake mix (plus oil, water and eggs as directed on box)
• 2- 8oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temp.)
• 1 packet (0.23oz.) of Kool-Aid Lemonade
• Yellow food coloring  (as desired for color)
• 1- 7oz. container Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
• 1/3 c. powdered sugar
• 8 oz. Cool Whip Topping
• Confetti sprinkles and paper straws to decorate as desired

DIRECTIONS:

• Make cake according to box and bake in 24 cupcake liners placed in cupcake tins, as directed.  Cool completely.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemonade and yellow food coloring until smooth.
• Beat marshmallow creme and powdered sugar into cream cheese mixture and then fold in Cool Whip until completely smooth.  
• Spoon frosting into a zip top bag that has a piping tip inserted into one corner (I used a Wilton 1M star tip).
• Pipe frosting on tops of each cupcake- you can be generous, as this recipe makes a lot of frosting and the frosting is so light and fluffy.
• Decorate as desired.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.  
• Enjoy!

Recipe Source from Easybaket.net