Cute Monkey Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8 1/2-inch-diameter 3-quart stainless-steel or ovenproof bowl and 1 cup of a large (1-cup capacity) muffin tin; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and brown sugar; mix on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to medium; mix in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with banana mixture. Stir in pecans.
• Fill prepared muffin cup three-quarters full. Transfer remaining batter to prepared baking bowl. Transfer to oven, side by side. Bake cupcake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in tin on a wire rack. Continue baking large cake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more (1 hour and 40 minutes total). Let cool in bowl on a wire rack 30 minutes. Invert bowl to remove cake; let cool completely.
• Trim flat side of cake to be level. Trim away top of cupcake to be level. Cut cupcake in half vertically for the two monkey ears. Cut bowl cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers. Spread 3/4 cup chocolate buttercream on top of flat layer. Top with domed layer. Transfer to a cake plate. Spread a thick layer of chocolate buttercream over entire monkey head. Spread buttercream over cupcake ears. Attach ears to sides of head, top of cupcake facing forward, securing with toothpicks.
• Place remaining chocolate frosting in a piping bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5). Pipe dots around bottom edge of cake in a continuous line. Switch to a small multi-opening tip (such as Ateco #233); pipe hair on top of head.
• Fill another piping bag fitted with a large plain round tip (such as Ateco #11) with yellow buttercream. Pipe an oval near the front base of cake. Fill in with frosting, and smooth. Place 2 small pieces of licorice rope inside for nose. Add a long piece of rope for mouth. Place licorice drops above oval for eyes. Pipe yellow half-circles in centers of ears; fill in with frosting, and smooth. Decorated cake can be refrigerated up to 3 hours.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms and sides of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray. Place paper baking cup in each of 2 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Fill 2 muffin cups about two-thirds full of batter. Divide remaining batter between cake pans. Bake as directed on box for 8-inch rounds and cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For easier handling, refrigerate or freeze cake 30 minutes to 1 hour or until firm.
• On serving plate, place 1 cake layer, rounded side down. Spread with 1 cup of the chocolate frosting. Top with second cake layer, rounded side up. Remove paper liners from cupcakes; trim rounded top off of each cupcake. Place cupcakes at top of cake for ears. Spread thin layer of chocolate frosting over cake and cupcakes to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• In small bowl, place vanilla frosting. Tint with chocolate frosting adding 1/2 teaspoon at a time until desired color is reached for monkey face. Spread frosting in kidney shape in center of cake for monkey face. Spread frosting in center of cupcakes for inner ears. Spoon remaining chocolate frosting into decorating bag fitted with grass icing tip (#233 or #133); pipe "fur" on side of cake, on top of cake around face and on cupcakes. With decorating gel, draw mouth, nose and line in inner ears. Add candies for eyes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a plastic bag combine, 1 cup of sugar and 1 tbsp of cinnamon.
• Cut each biscuit into pieces and put into the bag and coat them with the cinnamon mixture.
• Place in an ungreased bundt pan.
• In a small saucepan, bring to boil, 3/4 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 2 tbsp of white karo syrup and 2 tbsp of cinnamon, stir constantly.
• Pour over biscuits.
• Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.
• Remove from pan immediately, be careful of the cinnamon oozing all over the place. But that is the best part of the cake!

Steps:

• Prepare batter and bake according to package directions for cupcakes; cool completely., Set aside 1/4 cup frosting. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting. With a serrated knife, cut off and discard a fourth of each vanilla wafer. Place a wafer on each cupcake, with the rounded edge of wafer near edge of cupcake, for face. Add dots of black gel for nostrils. With red gel, pipe on mouths., Place M&M's above wafers for eyes; add dots of black gel for pupils. Using reserved frosting and a #16 star tip, pipe hair. Carefully separate cookies; cut each in half. Position one on each side of cupcakes for ears.