Panda Pals Mini Cupcakes

Recipe Collection: Dessert

Panda Pals Mini Cupcakes bring a smile to your gatherings with their charming appearance and rich chocolate flavor. These delightful treats feature a moist chocolate cake base topped with creamy cream cheese frosting, artfully decorated to resemble adorable panda faces. Perfect for vegetarian diets, these American-style cupcakes are a hit at parties and family events. Please note, they contain dairy, eggs, and gluten, making them unsuitable for those with related allergies.

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Overview

These adorable mini panda cupcakes are perfect for any occasion. Made with rich chocolate and topped with a creamy cheese frosting, they are decorated to resemble cute panda faces. Ideal for parties or just a fun baking project, these cupcakes are sure to impress both kids and adults alike.

Diet Type

Vegetarian

Allergies

Dairy, Eggs, Gluten

Cuisine

American

Serving Size: 36

Cooking Time: 100 minutes

Ingredients

• 9 Tablespoons (tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 Tablespoons (tbsp) boiling water
• 0.75 Cups unsalted butter
• 0.75 Cups white sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (tbsp) white sugar
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Teaspoons (tsp) baking powder
• 3 Large eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 Ounces (oz) cream cheese, softened
• 0.25 Cups unsalted butter
• 0.5 Teaspoons (tsp) vanilla extract
• 1 Cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Panda Face Decoration

• 0.25 Cups white sugar
• 180 Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons (tbsp) chocolate sprinkles
• 1 Ounce (oz) fondant, packaged

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin and a 12-cup mini muffin tin or line them with paper liners.
2. Sift the cocoa powder into a large bowl and add 5 tablespoons of boiling water. Stir into a thick paste, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Add 0.75 cups of butter and 0.75 cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the batter is smooth.
3. Mix the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and stir into the batter until well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared mini muffin cups using an ice cream scoop, filling each 2/3 full.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
5. For the frosting, combine the cream cheese and 0.25 cups of butter in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in the vanilla extract and gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.
6. Frost each cupcake with a layer of white frosting. Pour the white sugar into a small bowl and dunk each frosted cupcake into the sugar to evenly cover the frosting.
7. For the panda face, 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.
8. Roll the 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. Attach the eyes onto the 2 eye chocolate chips with some frosting.

Enjoy your delightful mini panda cupcakes!