Panda Pals Mini Cupcakes
Bring a smile to your gatherings with our Panda Pals Mini Cupcakes! These charming treats feature rich chocolate cake topped with creamy cream cheese frosting, all 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.
With their sweet, rich flavor and playful presentation, these cupcakes are versatile enough for any occasion. Easily accessible through EasyChef Pro, you can add this recipe to your digital cookbook and utilize our shopping list feature for the best cost per serving. Get ready to impress your guests with these fun and tasty treats!
Recipe Collection: Dessert
Serving Size: 36
Cooking Time: 100 minutes
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
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!