Animal-Themed Cupcakes

Learn how to make lion, monkey, tiger, and zebra cupcakes from "Dessert First" host, Anne Thornton!

Screen_shot_2011-10-20_at_2.26.44_PMMonkey Cupcakes

Chocolate Frosting
2 Mini Nilla Waffers for Ears
1 Nilla Wafer for Mouth and Nose
1 Mini Marshmallow (half) for Eyes
Black Gel Icing to make dots on eyes &draw nose & mouth

Screen_shot_2011-10-20_at_2.32.12_PMLion Cupcakes

Vanilla Butter Cream w/yellow food coloring
Toasted shredded coconut (for the mane)
Mini Marshmallow ( half) for eyes w/ black gel icing dots
Clear Gumdrop ( half) for cheeks
Corner of a stick of Pink Gum for triangle nose
Black Licorice for whiskers

Screen_shot_2011-10-20_at_2.28.42_PMTiger Cupcakes

Vanilla Butterceam w/ Orange coloring
1 Mini Marshmallow (half) for eyes with black gel icing dots (cut side down)
1 Mini Marshamlllow (half ) for cheeks (cut side down)
1 Chocolate Chip turned upside down (point into the cupcake) for nose
Tiny triangle from stick of Pink Gum for mouth
2 Cheerios for ears
Black licorice cut into short pieces to make strips on sides of face & top and bottom of head.

Screen_shot_2011-10-20_at_2.30.26_PMZebra Cupcakes

Vanilla Butter cream
Cut slit in top of cupcake Insert vanilla wafer cookie into each slit to create elongated face
Add vanilla frosting to cookie before inserting to help stick
Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. For muzzles, frost cookies with black frosting
1 Mini Marshmallow (half) for eyes with black gel icing dots
2 Chocolate Chips turned upside down (point into the cupcake) for nostrils
1 Black Gumdrop (half) for ears
Black licorice cut into short pieces to make stripes on top of head and two sides of face.

 

Chef Anne Thornton is an expert pastry chef and the host Food Network's “Dessert First with Chef Anne Thornton." For more about Anne, visit her website at Annethornton.com.