MINI PANDA CUPCAKES

Mini Panda Cupcakes image

These chocolate mini cupcakes are decorated as little panda bears. The proportions work best for mini cupcakes.

Provided by barbara

Categories Desserts Cakes Cupcake Recipes Chocolate

Time 1h40m

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 tablespoons boiling water, or as needed
¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
¼ cup white sugar
180 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles
1 ounce fondant, ready-to-use, white

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 24-cup mini muffin tin and one 12-cup mini muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.
Sift cocoa powder into a large bowl and add 5 tablespoons boiling water. Stir into a thick paste, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Add 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until batter is smooth.
Mix flour and baking powder in a bowl and stir into the batter until well combined. Spoon batter into the prepared mini muffin cups using an ice cream scoop, filling each 2/3 to the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool in muffin tin for a few minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Combine cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in confectioners' sugar gradually.
Frost each cupcake with a layer of white frosting. Pour white sparkling sugar into a small bowl and dunk each frosted cupcake into the sugar, so the frosting is evenly covered.
Place 2 chocolate chips into the middle of each cupcake for the eyes with the pointy side facing the cupcake. Place 1 chocolate chip with the pointy side pointing down for the nose, like an upside-down triangle. Make a mouth with 3 chocolate sprinkles in the shape of an anchor. Place 2 chocolate chips on top of the cupcakes for the ears.
Roll fondant into tiny balls for the eyes, smaller than the mini chocolate chips, and stick 1 half piece of chocolate sprinkle into each ball for the pupils. Glue eyes onto the 2 eye chocolate chips with some frosting.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 135 calories, Carbohydrate 14.8 g, Cholesterol 35.9 mg, Fat 8.2 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 4.9 g, Sodium 52.6 mg, Sugar 10 g