Panda Cupcakes Food

MINI PANDA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 24-cup mini muffin tin and one 12-cup mini muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.
• Sift cocoa powder into a large bowl and add 5 tablespoons boiling water. Stir into a thick paste, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Add 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until batter is smooth.
• Mix flour and baking powder in a bowl and stir into the batter until well combined. Spoon batter into the prepared mini muffin cups using an ice cream scoop, filling each 2/3 to the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool in muffin tin for a few minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Combine cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in confectioners' sugar gradually.
• Frost each cupcake with a layer of white frosting. Pour white sparkling sugar into a small bowl and dunk each frosted cupcake into the sugar, so the frosting is evenly covered.
• Place 2 chocolate chips into the middle of each cupcake for the eyes with the pointy side facing the cupcake. Place 1 chocolate chip with the pointy side pointing down for the nose, like an upside-down triangle. Make a mouth with 3 chocolate sprinkles in the shape of an anchor. Place 2 chocolate chips on top of the cupcakes for the ears.
• Roll fondant into tiny balls for the eyes, smaller than the mini chocolate chips, and stick 1 half piece of chocolate sprinkle into each ball for the pupils. Glue eyes onto the 2 eye chocolate chips with some frosting.

PANDA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Ice all 24 cupcakes
• Using a food processor blitz the Tim Tams to a fine crumb (you can also use a rolling pin)
• Place the cookie crumbs in a bowl, dip the large cupcake icing side down into the crumb to totally coat it, this will be your panda's tummy
• Take the small cupcake, use a large choc drop to make the nose
• Use 2 small choc drops for eyes
• Use the dark gel icing to draw the mouth
• Place a toothpick in the large cupcake, this will hold your small cupcake in place as the head
• Once your small cupcake is in place the next step is ears and arms
• Take the choc licorice log slice 2 thin slices (approx 2-3mm thick) and 2 pieces approx one inch long
• The thin slices are placed on the head as ears
• The two longer pieces are placed either side of the head as arms
• Repeat until all the cupckaes are decorated