Chick Cupcakes

Chick Cupcakes

Karri Perry|Blue Ribbon Favorites

Needed Items:

Regular and Mini Baked Cupcakes-plus extra cupcake liners

Pretzel Sticks 

Candy Eyes

Orange Candy Melts

2-Piping Bags-disposable 

Waxed or Parchment Paper

Star Tip (#18)

Buttercream Frosting-(colored yellow)

Yellow food gel

Making Beaks and Feet:

Using melted orange candy melts, fill a disposable piping bag or a zip top bag. Snip the end-creating a very small opening. On parchment or waxed paper: pipe small “V” and “W” shapes, about 1/2 inch in size. Fill in the “V” shapes to create the look of a small beak. Let shapes set-up before using.  

(You can place shapes in the refrigerator to speed up process)

Making the Chick Cupcakes:

Using the second disposable piping bag, add a star tip- #18 or a #1M. Fill bag with yellow buttercream frosting. (Use store bought or a recipe follows)

Pipe little peaks of yellow frosting all over the top of each cupcake.  The star tip gives the yellow frosting the look of feathers.

Add two candy eyes and one beak to each of the mini cupcakes, creating a chick face.

Use a pretzel stick, placing it where the neck would be, if desired gently pull back a bit of the cupcake liner.

Add the pretzel stick topped mini cupcake to the center of a frosted regular cupcake (chick body).

Add two candy feet to each chick.

Tips:

Adding an extra or an outer cupcake liner to the cupcakes before assembling can help the chicks look more polished. Sometimes during baking, cupcake liners become discolored.

Quick Butter Cream Frosting:

2 sticks of unsalted butter softened to room temperature

1-2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 tsp salt

16 ounces (1 pound) confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla or coconut extract (you can add 1 teaspoon of both extracts if you're feeling adventurous)

Directions: Beat butter on medium until light and fluffy for 3-5 minutes.  Add the vanilla, salt, and half of the confectioner's sugar.  Beat until combined (2 minutes)  Add the second half of the confectioner's sugar and add the whipping cream. Whip until light and spreadable.  Thin with more cream if needed.  Add a few tablespoons more of confectioner's sugar is you prefer a thicker frosting for piping.