Mouse Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Frost tops of cupcakes with buttercream. For ears, make 2 small horizontal slits with a paring knife in top of 1 cupcake, just above paper liner, and then insert a wafer halfway into each slit.
• For nose, pipe chocolate frosting in an oval shape over lower half of cupcake, and spread smoothly; place a licorice round in the center.
• For whiskers, insert 3 licorice laces into frosting on each side of nose. For eyes, place 2 sunflower seeds directly above nose.

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until creamy, about 4 more minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until the tops spring back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a rack and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the bows: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the red candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner. Pipe 2 1/2-inch bows onto the parchment (make a few extra bows in case some break). Put the white candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth; let cool slightly. Transfer to another resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner. Pipe white dots on the bows; let set, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Make the topping: Finely grind 24 cookies in a food processor; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Wipe out the food processor. Make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Pulse the butter, confectioners' sugar, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla in the food processor until smooth. Spread on the cupcakes.
• Dip the cupcakes in the cookie crumbs, pressing to adhere. Separate the remaining 12 sandwich cookies; arrange 2 halves upright on each cupcake for the ears, pressing the cookies into the frosting. Carefully lift the bows off the parchment; lean them up against the cookies.

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake according to package directions for cupcakes, using foil- or paper-lined muffin tins. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , Frost cupcakes generously with vanilla frosting. For ears, position two vanilla wafers on each cupcake. Add Red Hots for eyes and gumdrops for noses. Insert short pieces of licorice for whiskers and longer pieces for tails.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 36 cupcake cups with paper liners.
• Twist 36 cookies apart carefully. Break the side without cream into quarters and place in a bowl; toss in 2 tablespoons flour so that they don't stick together. Place the cookies with cream into the bottoms of each cupcake cup, cream-side-up.
• Whisk 3 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl.
• Beat butter using an electric mixer with a flex edge attachment in another bowl until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in sugar, milk, and vanilla extract using a wire attachment. Mix in flour mixture slowly until well blended using the flex edge attachment. Add egg whites and beat for 2 minutes. Fold in quartered cookies.
• Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Mix softened butter and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer in a mixing bowl until completely combined. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing slowly until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat, scraping the sides of the bowl often, until frosting appears dry.
• Dip 2 toothpicks into food coloring twice and mix into frosting. Frost cupcakes as desired and decorate using mini chocolate cookies.

Steps:

• FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING (Makes about 1 & 2/3 cup and the extra can be used for fudge sauce over ice-cream because it will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks):.
• In a medium sauce pan, heat the cream and the butter over low heat until the butter has melted, but do not let simmer or boil.
• Remove pan from heat and stir in the chocolate chips.
• Let the chocolate chips sit in the hot cream to soften.
• Stir in the vanilla extract until the chocolate has melted.
• FOR MOCHA MOUSSE FILLING:.
• In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream, sugar, and instant coffee with a hand mixer until the the coffee dissolves, and then up the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the 3/4 cup chocolate ganache filling into the whipping cream mixture a little at a time .
• Chill the mousse filling in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, as it needs to be really cold when you fill the cooled cupcake bottoms (otherwise the filling will run).
• FOR CUPCAKES:.
• Melt chocolate over simmering water in a double-boiler or heat proof bowl. Once melted and smooth, let it cool slightly.
• Sift flour, baking powder, salt & soda into a bowl.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy (about 2 minute with stand mixer on high).
• On low speed, add in the melted chocolate until combined.
• On medium speed add the eggs one at a time until smooth.
• Add in the vanilla and beat until the mixture is creamy (color should be slightly lighter).
• Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain, but don't over mix.
• On low speed, add half of the flour mixture until it is incorporated--don't over mix.
• Add in the water and mix it until incorporated.
• Scrape bowl and add in the rest of the flour and mix on low until flour is incorporated and batter looks pretty smooth (again, don't mix too much or the cupcakes lose lightness).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put rack in the center of oven.
• Fill each liner up to the top of liner.
• Bake 22-24 minutes.
• Cupcake tops should feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
• Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.
• Remove the cupcakes from the pan onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Once cupcakes are fully cooled, use a sharp knife to slice the top off each cupcake (this is so you can fill them).
• Place cupcake tops right side up on a wire rack, and set aside cupcake bottoms on a serving platter.
• To frost cupcake tops, spread one tablespoons of the chocolate ganache frosting over the top of each cupcake top.
• Let cupcake tops cool until the ganache frosting is firm.
• Next, place a dollop of mocha mousse filling on each cupcake bottom. Using a wide metal spatula, carefully place the cupcake tops w/ cooled frosted ganache topping on top of the mousse filled cupcake bottoms.
• It may help to refrigerate the assembled cupcakes for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving so that everything firms up.