Chocolate Buttercream For Baby Bluebird Cupcakes Food

NESTING BABY-BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan once. Set aside to cool.
• Lightly frost cupcakes with 1 cup chocolate buttercream; set aside. Tint 2 tablespoons reserved buttercream pale yellow; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #349 Ateco leaf tip; set aside. Tint remaining buttercream light blue; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #11 Ateco plain round tip, and pipe three bluebird heads, 3/4 inch in diameter, onto each cupcake. Using leaf tip, pipe yellow beaks. With a toothpick, add melted-chocolate eyes. Form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut.

NESTING BABY-BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan once. Set aside to cool.
• Lightly frost cupcakes with 1 cup Chocolate Buttercream; set aside. Tint 2 tablespoons reserved buttercream pale yellow; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #349 Ateco leaf tip; set aside. Tint remaining buttercream light blue; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #11 Ateco plain round tip, and pipe three bluebird heads, 3/4 inch in diameter, onto each cupcake. Using leaf tip, pipe yellow beaks. With a toothpick, add melted-chocolate eyes. Form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FOR BABY BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Combine sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Place over a pot of simmering water; whisk until hot and sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer stand, and beat on high speed until cooled, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Replace whisk with paddle attachment, and set mixer on medium-high speed; add butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Beat in chocolate. If not using immediately, refrigerate buttercream in an airtight container for up to a week. Bring to room temperature, and rebeat or stir vigorously before using.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the bowl isn't touching the water). Stir until melted. Alternatively, melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
• Mash the butter and icing sugar together with a fork first, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters if you have them. Sift in the cocoa and pour in the melted chocolate, a pinch of salt and the milk, then mix again until smooth. Use to top cupcakes or cover and fill a chocolate sponge cake.

NESTING BABY BLUEBIRD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Reserve 1 teaspoon melted chocolate for decorating. Fold remaining chocolate into 2 cups buttercream with a flexible spatula. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate buttercream in a smooth layer over each cupcake.
• Tint 1/2 cup remaining buttercream bright yellow with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small V-leaf tip (#349). Tint remaining buttercream blue. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip (#11).
• Pipe three small blue mounds (about 3/4 inch in diameter) for bluebird heads onto each cupcake. Pipe tiny yellow beaks on each head. With a toothpick, paint on melted-chocolate eyes. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 1 day in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before proceeding.
• To finish, form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut, patting it into frosting around edge of cupcake with your fingertips.