Cupcakes Galore!

woof

There are few things as lovely as cupcakes. Each one is a personal little cake just for you.

Better yet: kids' cupcakes. And, since my son's birthday was a week ago, I had the opportunity to make not one, but two batches.

It started off simply enough, with a plan for a farm birthday with farm animal cupcakes. Alas, the evening before the party my son had a fever of 102 and the birthday party...bought the farm.

Never one to miss a chance to 1) make my son happy and 2) bake cupcakes. I decided to surprise him with a family party.

a favourite stuffed puppy = inspiration

We had postponed the farm party 'til the following weekend, so I decided to hold off on my original farm animal cupcake idea. I wanted to make something else fun. So, I decorated and made a batch of cupcakes inspired by his favourite stuffed puppy, Douglas.

I think they came out rather nice, wouldn't you say?

The cupcakes were a simple vanilla recipe—from scratch, of course. The puppies "fur" is homemade buttercream frosting I tinted with unsweetened cocoa powder and piped on with a star tip. Their faces, ears and paws are made of all-natural marshmallows. They have chocolate chip eyes and naturally dyed jollybean noses.




pupcakes!

 
Next up, the real deal: farm animal cupcakes!



farmcakes! can you spy the sheep in shades?


These were so simple and great fun to make. Again, I started with homemade vanilla cupcakes (my son's only request) and a batch of homemade buttercream frosting. For the chicks, I simply frosted the cupcakes and rolled them in toasted coconut for the "feathers." Then I added four naturally dyed chocolate candies—two brown for the eyes, and two orange for the beak. The cutest thing is the upright candies, which make the beak look as though it's open.

Next up, the pigs. I had roasted beets the night prior and saved a little of the beet juice to tint the frosting. I added the beet juice gradually until I'd achieved the right shade of pig. (I didn't want purple pigs!) I used two all-natural marshmallows for the pig's face, one for the snout and one cut in half for the ears. I made an easy ganache with a couple of tablespoons of melted chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream. I used a toothpick to paint on the pigs' nostrils. The "mud" is made from frosting I tinted with unsweetened cocoa powder.

And lastly, the sheep. (Yes, they are sheep and not bunnies!) Their "fur" is frosting piped with a star tip. Again, their faces and ears are two marshmallows and their faces are painted on with chocolate ganache.

Our lucky little 6-year-old got to make more than one wish!

pupcakes with each puppy holding a fetched (candle)stick