Name: Mini Panda Cupcakes
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 36
Ingredients: Unsweetened cocoa powder - 9 tablespoons; Boiling water, or as needed - 5 tablespoons; Unsalted butter - ¾ cup; White sugar - ¾ cup; White sugar - 2 tablespoons; All-purpose flour - 1 cup; Baking powder - 2 teaspoons; Eggs - 3; Cream cheese, softened - 1 (8 ounce) package; Unsalted butter - ¼ cup; Vanilla extract - ½ teaspoon; Confectioners' sugar, sifted - 1 cup; White sugar - ¼ cup; Miniature semisweet chocolate chips - 180; Chocolate sprinkles - 2 tablespoons; Fondant, ready-to-use, white - 1 ounce

Recipe information

Cooking:

1 hour

Servings per container:

Source:

More details

Ingredients for - Mini Panda Cupcakes

1. Unsweetened cocoa powder - 9 tablespoons

2. Boiling water, or as needed - 5 tablespoons

3. Unsalted butter - ¾ cup

4. White sugar - ¾ cup

5. White sugar - 2 tablespoons

6. All-purpose flour - 1 cup

7. Baking powder - 2 teaspoons

8. Eggs - 3

9. Cream cheese, softened - 1 (8 ounce) package

10. Unsalted butter - ¼ cup

11. Vanilla extract - ½ teaspoon

12. Confectioners' sugar, sifted - 1 cup

13. White sugar - ¼ cup

14. Miniature semisweet chocolate chips - 180

15. Chocolate sprinkles - 2 tablespoons

16. Fondant, ready-to-use, white - 1 ounce

How to cook deliciously - Mini Panda Cupcakes

1. Stage

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.

2. Stage

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.

3. Stage

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.

4. Stage

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.

5. Stage

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.

6. Stage

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.

7. Stage

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.

8. Stage

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.