Lion And Lamb Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Measure 1/2 cup buttercream, and tint with pink food coloring to desired shade; transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip; set aside. Divide remaining buttercream equally between two bowls. Into one bowl, stir melted chocolate; set aside.
• Frost half of the cupcakes with the plain buttercream for the lambs, and half with the chocolate buttercream for the lions: set aside.
• For the lamb cupcakes: Arrange the halved mini marshmallows around the perimeter of each plain-buttercream cupcake, in two concentric circles. Leave room for ears on the edges, and an empty circle in the center for the face. Place halved full-sized marshmallows in reserved spots for the ears. Place two mini chocolate candies in upper half of each empty circle to make the eyes, and a bubble gum triangle for the nose.
• For the lion cupcakes: Press coconut into the edge of the chocolate-buttercream on the cupcake to create a mane. On each cupcake, pipe a small dot of pink buttercream in the center to form a nose, then arrange two gumdrop halves on either side of the nose for cheeks. Stick three licorice pieces into buttercream on either side of cheeks for whiskers. Place two mini chocolate candies over gumdrops for eyes.

Steps:

• Frost cupcake. Place the large marshmallow in the center. Lightly frost the back of the candy eyes and press them onto the marshmallow. Frost the back of the jujube candy and put below the eyes for a nose. Frost the short piece of licorice lightly and press underneath the nose to make the mouth. Press mini-marshmallow halves all around the cupcake and the face to make the lambs coat. Frost the tips of the pink jelly beans and stick on top of the lamb's head to make ears. Stick the purple jelly beans in the front and back of the cupcake for feet. Curl the long piece of licorice and press into frosting to make the lamb's tail.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners. (To avoid cupcakes sticking if they overflow slightly, lightly spray the tops of the pans with nonstick cooking spray.) Put tins on a baking sheet. Set aside.
• Process the sugar and butter in a food processor until very creamy, scraping the sides down as needed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, pulsing after each addition. Add the milk, 2/3 cup water, and vanilla and process to blend.
• Whisk the all-purpose and cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture, in 3 batches to the butter mixture and pulse, scraping batter off the sides of the processor as needed after each addition. Process until the batter is very smooth and pourable like pancake batter, about 2 minutes.
• Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cups, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Bake until the cakes are just firm and spring back when gently pressed, and the tops are golden, 18 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly in tin until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before frosting.
• Whisk the milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
• Slowly beat the butter and sugar, in another medium bowl, with an electric mixer until incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.) Add the fluff and salt and reduce the speed to low. Add the milk and vanilla mixture, scrape the bowl down, and mix until fully incorporated. Raise the mixer to high and beat briefly until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Use right away.

Steps:

• Frost each cupcake with an even layer of frosting using a spatula or a palette knife.
• Use a skewer to poke 2 holes in the top end of each marshmallow half for the ears. Poke 2 holes at the bottom of the front side for each of the nostrils.
• Cut the black licorice laces into short lengths: 24 small pieces for the nostrils and thirty-six 1/3-inch lengths for the ears and tails. Stick the shorter licorice pieces into the marshmallows where you've poked holes for the nostrils. Stick 24 of the longer pieces into the marshmallows where you've poked holes for the ears. Attach 1 marshmallow head to each cupcake.
• Cover the cupcakes with mini marshmallows, sticking them to the frosting flat-side down. Leave space on the opposite side of the head to attach the tail. Poke a hole there using a skewer, then stick in the remaining licorice pieces for the tails.
• Spread the backs of two candy eyeballs with a bit of frosting. Attach to the marshmallow, positioning above the nose. Repeat with remaining eyeballs.