Decorate a batch (or two) of cupcakes with pig, mouse, monkey, or lion faces, or make a few of each animal for a sweet set. You can use most any cupcake flavor for these creatures; try banana-pecan cupcakes (nuts can be omitted) or roasted banana cupcakes for the monkeys. Before adding the facial features, lightly mark the placement in the frosting with a round cookie cutter (or use a skewer or toothpick).
Ingredients
Pig Cupcakes
- 24 Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes or One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Pink gel-paste food color
- 48 mini brown candy-coated chocolates, such as mini M&M’s
- Bubblegum tape
Mouse Cupcakes
- 24 Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes or One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 24 black licorice buttons (or brown candy-coated chocolates, such as M&M’s)
- 1 small bag (about 5 ounces) black licorice laces, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 48 chocolate-covered sunflower seeds
- 48 chocolate candy wafers, such as Necco
Monkey Cupcakes
- 24 Banana-Pecan Cupcakes
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream (chocolate variation)
- 48 chocolate candy wafers, such as Necco
- 12 ounces rolled fondant
- Yellow gel-paste food color
- Cornstarch, for work surface
How to Make It
- Tint 1½ cups buttercream pale pink with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with only a coupler. Tint another 2 cups buttercream a deeper shade of pink. Transfer ½ cup to a pastry bag fitted with only a coupler, and reserve the rest.
- Using an offset spatula, spread each cupcake with reserved deep pink buttercream in a smooth, even layer. For the snout, use a small plain tip (#6) to pipe a pale pink circle just off center, in the lower part of the cupcake, then pipe lines to almost fill in the circle; smooth with an offset spatula. Then, using the deep pink frosting and #6 tip, pipe two pink dots in the center of the pale pink circle.
- For the eyes, place two candy-coated chocolates above the pale pink circle. Cut bubblegum tape into small triangles, and press two into the top of each cupcake to resemble ears, bending tips forward. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes are best served the same day they are decorated; keep at room temperature. Mouse Cupcakes
- Measure out ¾ cup buttercream and combine with melted and cooled chocolate, stirring until smooth with a flexible spatula. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip.
- Using an offset spatula, spread plain buttercream in a smooth, even layer over cupcakes. Pipe chocolate buttercream in a 2-inch oval in lower part of each cupcake. Place a licorice button in the center of the piped oval for the nose. Arrange three licorice pieces in the buttercream on each side of the nose for whiskers. Place two chocolate-coated sunflower seeds above the piped chocolate oval for the eyes.
- Using a paring knife, make two small slits, about an inch apart, in top of cupcake, just above the liner. Insert two candy wafers into slits for ears, securing with dabs of buttercream, if necessary. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes are best served the same day they are decorated; keep at room temperature. Monkey Cupcakes
- Using a paring knife, make a small slit in opposite sides of cupcake, just above the liner. Insert two candy wafers into slits for ears, securing with dabs of buttercream, if necessary. Using an offset spatula, spread top of cupcake and wafers with frosting in a smooth, even layer. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
- Tint the fondant pale yellow with gel-paste food color and roll out to ⅛ inch thick on a work surface lightly dusted with cornstarch. To create the mouth, cut out a round of fondant using a 2-inch cookie cutter. Cut out a second piece of fondant using a 3-inch fluted flower cookie cutter; slice off two petal portions from the flower for the eyes. Make the ear pieces by cutting two ⅞-inch rounds from the remaining flower petals; trim circles with a knife to create one straight edge on each.
- Arrange fondant shapes on cupcakes, starting with the eyes and then slightly overlapping the round mouth piece over the eyes, and facing the straight edge of each ear piece inward. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip with buttercream; pipe eyes, nose, and mouth details on fondant. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes are best served the same day they are decorated; keep at room temperature.
- Tint ½ cup buttercream pale pink with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip. Add melted and cooled chocolate to remaining buttercream, and stir until combined with a flexible spatula.
- Using an offset spatula, spread cupcakes with chocolate buttercream in a smooth, even layer. Attach two candy-coated chocolates for the eyes and two gumdrop halves, cut sides down, for the cheeks. Arrange three licorice pieces in the buttercream on each side of gumdrop cheeks for whiskers. To make the nose, pipe a dot in the center with pink buttercream. Gently press toasted coconut around the edge of cupcake to resemble a mane. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes are best served the same day they are decorated; keep at room temperature.
