Baby Chick Cupcakes

How to make Baby Chick Cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS: Makes 24

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

FOR THE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM AND DECORATIONS:

• 2 cups butter
• 8-10 cups icing sugar
• 2-4 Tablespoons cream or milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Yellow gel food colouring
• 4-5 maraschino cherries or orange candies for beaks
• 48 mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS:

To Make the Cupcakes:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F and line a cupcake tray with your chosen liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Set aside.
4. Place the two eggs in a separate bowl and beat for 30 seconds before slowly adding in the white sugar.
5. Once the egg and white sugar mixture is light and fully beaten, beat in the vanilla and oil.
6. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix completely, then add half of the buttermilk.
7. Repeat.
8. Fill the muffin liners halfway full and bake 12-15 minutes and cool in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.

For the buttercream frosting:

1. Combine the butter, sugar, 2 Tablespoons of cream and the vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix for 2 minutes and adjust the consistency with the addition of more sugar or cream.
3. Dye the buttercream yellow with a small amount of yellow gel colouring.
4. Place the coconut in a second small bowl and dye to the same colour with the yellow dye.

To decorate:

1. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag and cut off the tip to be at least 1″ wide.
2. Pipe a big dollop of frosting in the middle of the cupcake, and then smooth it down into a dome shape using an offset spatula dipped in water.
3. Roll the cupcakes in the dyed coconut to imply feathers.
4. Add candy eyes and a candy nose – in this case, a small piece of candied cherry.
5. Repeat for all remaining cupcakes.