Pineapple Pull Apart Cupcake Cake Food

PULL-APART CUPCAKE SNOWMAN

Steps:

• Arrange 14 cupcakes in a tight circle on a platter or cake board for the body and 7 cupcakes in a smaller tight circle for the head. Add 2 cupcakes for the scarf.
• Using a small serrated knife, cut 7 chocolate wafer cookies in half; spread frosting on the back and arrange around the edge of the cupcake circles as shown to round out the shape.
• Cut 6 more cookies into quarters. Spread frosting on the back, then use to fill in the gaps between the cupcakes.
• Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe dots of varying size all over the cupcakes and cookies to cover completely. Add chocolate candies for eyes and buttons and trim a circus peanut for the nose. Roll out the fondant until 1/4 inch thick; trim into 2 strips for the scarf and fringe the ends. Place on the snowman.

SPECIAL OCCASION PULL-APART CAKE

Steps:

• On a 13-by-11-inch cake board or serving platter, arrange the cupcakes into milestone birthday numbers (or the initials of the person you're celebrating!). Plan to have about two dozen cupcakes on hand to work with and 6 to 8 cups frosting. (The cupcakes that are not used for the pull-apart cake can be frosted and served on the side.) Place approximately 1/4 cup frosting on top of each cupcake using two spoons. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting into an even layer across the cupcakes. Transfer 2 cups of the frosting to a disposable pastry bag or resealable plastic bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe stars of buttercream onto the surface of the frosted cake. Decorate with candy pieces and fresh edible flowers.

PINEAPPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Cut off the top of the pineapple and set aside. Peel the pineapple and finely chop 1/2 cup for the cake.
• Generously coat one 6-inch round cake pan and two 1-quart ovenproof bowls with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mix as directed; stir in the diced pineapple.
• Divide the batter among the pan and bowls. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes for the pan and 35 minutes for the bowls. Let cool, then unmold.
• Trim the domed tops of all three cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level.
• Put one bowl cake, wide-side up, on a small cardboard circle. Top with a layer of frosting, then add the round cake, more frosting and the other bowl cake, wide-side down.
• Tint the remaining frosting yellow with food coloring. Spread all over the outside of the cake in a thin layer, reserving about 1/2 cup.
• Cover the cake with the yellow candy melts, arranging them side by side and staggered; leave an opening at the top for the leaves.
• Dip the back of a small spoon in the reserved yellow frosting and dab on the upper part of each candy melt to make a small point.
• Trim the base of the pineapple leaves, then carefully place on the cake.

PULL-APART POOL CUPCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners. Prepare the cupcakes according to the package directions. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.
• In a clean mixer bowl, combine 1 1/2 tubs of the frosting and about 1/4 teaspoon blue food coloring. Beat until smooth and no streaks remain, adding more color if needed to make a light blue frosting.
• Dollop a tiny bit of blue frosting on the bottom of the liner of one of the cupcakes (this will help anchor it to the serving tray), then dollop a generous amount on top of the cupcake. Anchor the cupcake to a serving tray large enough to hold all 24 cupcakes. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes, arranging them in a 4-by-6 cupcake grid with the edges touching.
• Using an offset spatula, smooth the blue frosting across the tops of the cupcakes, adding more as necessary, so it appears as 1 layer and the individual cupcakes are no longer visible. Smooth the remaining blue frosting on the sides to cover the cupcakes but not the liners.
• Put the remaining 1 1/2 tubs white frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the outline of a rectangle in white (about 5 by 7 inches) closer to one short edge of the cupcake grid to make the pool. Pipe around the outline of the rectangle all the way to the edges of the cupcake grid with white, leaving the inside of the pool blue. Smooth the white frosting with an offset spatula.
• For the decorations: Arrange a row of blue candy-coated chocolates on the white frosting around the perimeter of the pool, then arrange another row of blue candy-coated chocolates around the outer perimeter of the cupcake grid. Fill in between the 2 blue rows with rows of white candy-coated chocolates to make the pool deck. Chill the cake 30 minutes to set the frosting inside the pool.
• Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the blue gelatin until dissolved. Combine a mixture of water and ice in a measuring cup to make 1/2 cup. Stir into the dissolved gelatin until the ice melts. Chill the gelatin mixture while the cake chills. After 30 minutes, pour the gelatin into the pool. Chill until completely set, about 2 hours.
• Cut 2 strips of sour candy belt, each slightly larger than a graham bear, to make beach towels. Lay 1 bear on each towel and arrange them to relax by the pool. Add a drink umbrella over each to shade them from the sun.
• Cut the candy necklaces open where they tie to make 2 long strips. Cut 2 strips the same size as the length of the pool and arrange them over the gelatin for lanes. Gently pull out and discard the strings, keeping the candies in straight lines. Arrange 3 bears around a jawbreaker in the pool to play a game of volleyball. Stick a bear in each gummy ring candy for floaties and add to the pool.
• Cut the chocolate chew into 4 pieces crosswise to make legs for the diving board. Cut a 1 1/2-inch piece from the white taffy and attach it to the legs to make a diving board. Set at the deep end of the pool and press a bear at the end, ready to dive in.
• Cut the green taffy into a rectangle a little larger than a bear. With the back of a paring knife, score lines in the taffy to resemble the puffy parts of a blow-up raft. Stick a bear on the raft and add him to the pool. Stick the remaining bears in the pool to hang out.

BEACH TOWEL PULL-APART CUPCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• Color about 2 cups buttercream yellow. Color about 2 cups buttercream orange. Color about 2 cups buttercream turquoise. Transfer each color as well as the remaining 4 cups white buttercream to pastry bags fitted with large plain round tips.
• Arrange a 4-by-6 rectangle of cupcakes. Cover all the cupcakes with about half the white buttercream and spread to cover. Chill the cupcakes until the frosting is firm, about 15 minutes. Starting at one of the top corners the rectangle, pipe horizontal lines in different colors and thicknesses, keeping the lines as straight as possible. Reserve about a quarter of each frosting to decorate the top.
• Use a bench scraper (a flat and rectangular metal baking tool) to flatten and smooth the buttercream: With a gentle amount of pressure, drag the bench scraper along the buttercream in the same direction as the stripes, making sure to clean it after each swipe. Pipe an orange pair of flip flops on the blanket and make the strap with sour belts. Pipe a white outline of sunglasses and fill in the lens with blue. Pipe a white sunscreen bottle on the blanket. Decorate the sunscreen bottle as desired.

HOT DOG PULL-APART CUPCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• Color about 2 cups buttercream the color of a hotdog bun using ivory food coloring with a few drops of brown. Color about 2 cups of buttercream the color of a hot dog, using equal parts red and brown food coloring. Color a small amount buttercream (about 1/2 cup) deep red, for ketchup. Color a small amount buttercream (about 1/2 cup) deep yellow, for mustard. Color the remaining buttercream (about 1/2 cup) deep black, for grill marks.
• Arrange cupcakes in 3 horizontal rows, with 5 cupcakes in the top and bottom rows and 6 in the middle row.
• Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to dollop about 1/4 cup hot dog color buttercream on the cupcakes in the middle row. Use an offset spatula to smooth the tops to make a long hotdog shape, curved at both ends. Smooth all the way to the edges of the cupcakes.
• Wash and dry the ice cream scoop and offset spatula. Dollop the hot dog bun color buttercream on the middle row of cupcakes and smooth all the way to the edges of the cupcakes, curving at the ends to resemble the hot dog bun. Dip the offset spatula in a little water and smooth the edges where the hotdog meets the bun last to keep the definition between the hotdog and the bun clean.
• Put the red, yellow and black buttercreams in separate pastry bags fitted with medium round tips. Pipe 5 evenly spaced diagonal lines with the black buttercream to make grill marks along the hot dog. Pipe a wavy row of red buttercream ketchup, then yellow buttercream mustard along the length of the hot dog. Snip the gummy bears into small pieces and scatter over the top of the hot dog for relish.