Make baking fun again with these playful creations from “Hello, Cupcake!” authors Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. But don't be misled by their whimsical titles (Corn on the Cob, Buttered Popcorn) — these desserts are irresistibly delectable.
Recipe: Corn on the cob cupcakes (on this page) Video: Make amazing cupcakes Recipe: Buttered popcorn cupcakes (on this page) Recipe: Zinnias cupcakes (on this page)Our corniest project ever! The ears are bursting with fresh summer flavor. But surprise: Those kernels are jelly beans, the butter pats are fruit chews, and the salt and pepper are black and white sugar.
1. Tint the vanilla frosting pale yellow with the food coloring.
2. Working with 3 cupcakes at a time, spread yellow frosting on top of each. Arrange about 5 rows of jelly beans, close together, on each cupcake. Place the 3 cupcakes side by side on a corn dish or a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, frosting, and jelly beans.
3. Cut the fruit chews into eight 1-inch squares, and soften the edges slightly by hand so that they look melted. Place 1 square on top of each group of 3 cupcakes. Sprinkle with the sugars. Insert 1 corn holder, if using, in each of the end cupcakes.
Makes 8 ears of corn: 24 cupcakes
Rent a movie and pass the popcorn! This prank uses white and yellow mini marshmallows to create buttered popcorn clusters.
1. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag. Press out the excess air and close the bag.
2. For each piece of popcorn, use 2 marshmallows of the same color. Using clean scissors, cut 1 marshmallow into thirds, crosswise. Arrange the pieces on the cookie sheet in the shape of a three-leaf clover, pressing gently with your fingertips to flatten slightly. Snip a 1/8-inch corner from the bag and pipe a dot of frosting on one end of the second marshmallow. Press the other marshmallow into the center of the cloverleaf arrangement; the frosting will hold the 4 pieces together. Repeat with the remaining white and yellow marshmallows until you have 225 to 250 pieces of popcorn.
3. Spread the tops of the mini cupcakes with the remaining vanilla frosting. Press 6 or 7 popcorn pieces onto the top of each cupcake. Any loose pieces can be secured with a dot of frosting from the ziplock bag.
4. Let the cupcakes sit for about 30 minutes before stacking them in the popcorn boxes or a bowl.
Makes 3 boxes of popcorn: 36 mini cupcakes
The petals on these bright, sassy cupcakes may look complicated but are actually quick and easy. Just grab a ziplock bag filled with frosting and squeeze, pull, and release. Practice makes perfect.
1. Tint 1 1/2 cups of the vanilla frosting green with the food coloring. Spread an even layer of the green frosting on top of the cupcakes and smooth. Arrange the vanilla sandwich cookies, regular and mini, randomly over the cupcakes, pressing them into the frosting to secure.
2. Tint the remaining vanilla frosting bright yellow with the food coloring. Remove 1/3 cup of the yellow frosting and tint it bright orange with the food coloring. Remove another 1/3 cup of the yellow frosting and tint it bright red with the food coloring. Spoon the remaining yellow frosting into a pint sized freezer weight ziplock bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Repeat the process with another ziplock bag and the orange frosting. Repeat the process again with another zip lock bag and the red frosting. Reinforce the corner of each bag with 6 overlapping layers of Scotch tape. Pinch the taped corners flat and cut a small V-shape in the corner to make a leaf tip. Pipe the yellow frosting around the edge of about one third of the cookies to make yellow petals. Pipe another circle of yellow petals just inside the first and slightly overlapping. Then repeat with the orange frosting and red frosting on the rest of the cookies.
3. Sprinkle the work surface with the sugar. Roll out the spearmint leaves, one at a time, to 1/8 inch thick. Using clean scissors, cut the candies or fruit leathers into 1 1/2-inch-long leaf shapes. Press the leaves into the cupcakes just under the petals.
4. Tint the chocolate frosting black with the food coloring and spoon it into a small ziplock bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Snip a 1/16-inch corner from the bag. Pipe a dot of black frosting on some of the cookies and attach the green mini chocolate candies in short rows of three or four to make the inchworms. Pipe a line of dots with the black frosting down the back of each inchworm and add dots for the eyes.
5. Arrange the cupcakes close together in a basket lined with green tissue paper, if you like, in small cups or on a platter to make a bouquet.
Makes 24 bright flower cupcakes
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