Mini Sunflower Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Arrange 3 cupcakes vertically at the bottom of a large platter to form a stem. Arrange 2 cupcakes to the left and 2 cupcakes to the right of the stem to create leaves. Arrange the remaining 17 cupcakes at the top of the stem in a large circle.
• Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, salt and 4 tablespoons of the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld electric mixer). Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and mix until smooth and spreadable. If the frosting is too thick to spread, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining milk and mix until spreadable.
• Transfer 2 cups of the frosting to a medium bowl. Add about 12 drops of leaf green gel food coloring and mix to combine.
• Add a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of the lemon yellow gel food coloring to the bowl of remaining white frosting and beat until combined. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to scoop a large dollop of the yellow frosting onto each of the 17 cupcakes that make up the flower. Use a small offset spatula to smooth over the tops and sides of the cupcakes (but not the liners).
• Wash and dry the ice cream scoop (or large spoon) and offset spatula. Use the ice cream scoop or large spoon to scoop a large dollop of the green frosting onto each of the 7 cupcakes that make up the stem and leaves. Use the small offset spatula to smooth over the tops and sides of the cupcakes (but not the liners). Scrape the remaining green frosting into a small pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip (number 802).?
• Pipe the outline of each leaf with the green frosting, then pipe a line of green frosting inside each leaf from the point to the stem. Pipe additional lines from side to side to create veins in the leaves. Use the offset spatula to square off the bottom of the stem.
• Arrange the marshmallow chicks facing outward in a circle around the perimeter of the flower, pressing to adhere. Fill the center with the chocolate wafer crumbs and press to adhere to the frosting.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• By slowly moving end of round handle of wooden spoon back and forth, make deep, 3/4-inch-wide indentation in center of top of each cupcake, not quite to bottom (wiggle end of spoon in cupcake to make opening large enough).
• In medium bowl, beat lemon curd and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Spoon into small resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 3/8-inch tip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into top of each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill cupcake.
• Stir 4 drops food color into frosting until pale yellow. Frost cupcakes.
• Place unopened icing tube in tall drinking glass filled with hot tap water for 15 minutes. Remove from water; wipe dry. Knead tube gently with hands to soften. Using leaf tip on icing tube, pipe 2 concentric circles of leaves, starting with outside edge of cupcake and working toward center; leave quarter-size area in center with just frosting. Carefully spoon 1 teaspoon chocolate chips onto center of each cupcake; press into frosting. Arrange on tray using sour candy straws for stems and leaves. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Loosely cover and refrigerate any remaining cupcakes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt into a bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat in vanilla.
• Butter a 5-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, dust with all-purpose flour, and tap out excess. Line mini-muffin tins with mini baking cups (you'll need 75 cupcakes total).
• Fill tart pan halfway with batter (about 1/2 cup), then fill each baking cup halfway with batter (a generous tablespoon each). Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 12 minutes for the cupcakes and 14 minutes for the cake. Transfer pans to wire racks, and let cake and cupcakes cool completely.
• Transfer 1/4 cup buttercream to a bowl, and stir in cocoa powder. Divide remaining buttercream among 3 bowls, and tint each batch a different shade of yellow or orange with gel-paste food coloring. Frost tops of cupcakes using the 3 colors. Frost top of cake with chocolate buttercream. Arrange berries over top of cake to cover and create "seeds." Arrange cupcakes around cake to create "petals," forming a sunflower shape.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray. Make cake batter as directed on box--except stir chocolate chips into batter. Reserve 1 cup batter. Pour remaining batter into pans. Stir cocoa into reserved 1 cup batter. Drop chocolate batter by tablespoonfuls randomly onto batter in pans. Cut through batter with knife for marbled design.
• Bake 27 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around edges to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place 1 cake round on large serving plate. Cut remaining cake into 8 triangles; place around cake pointed sides out to look like sunflower petals.
• In medium bowl, stir white frosting and tube of yellow gel food color until well blended. Frost sides and top of cake with yellow frosting. Sprinkle petals with yellow sugar. For sunflower seeds, pipe black decorating icing in center round of cake, using star tip. Make small bee using decorating icing. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using two parchment-lined and greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., If cake layers have rounded tops, trim with a long serrated knife to make level. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. , For petals, arrange Peeps around edge of cake, curving slightly and being careful not to separate chicks. For sunflower seeds, arrange chocolate chips in center of cake.