Sorting Cupcakes

     Ingredients #2 : 

Buttercream:

- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 5 cups confectioners sugar

blue, green, red and yellow food coloring

- ½ cup cocoa powder

- Caramel Sorting Hats:

• 24 chewy caramels

Bake the Cupcakes:

1. Combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the sour cream. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix until combined.

3. Line a muffin tin with liners and divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Make the Buttercream:

1. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.

2. Add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, then beat for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy.

3. Divide 1 ½ cups of buttercream between 4 small bowls. Dye the buttercream blue, green, red and yellow. Place the buttercream into piping bags fitted with large, round piping tips – we recommend the #1A piping tip.

Assembly:

1. To make a sorting hat, mold a caramel into a flat disk with your fingers. Mold another caramel into a cone shape, then stick onto the flat disk. Use a sharp knife to carve the sorting hat’s face. Repeat with the remaining caramels to make a total of 12 sorting hats.

2. To create holes in the cupcakes, turn a spare piping tip upside down, so that the widest end is facing the cupcakes. Twist downwards, then pull upwards to remove the core of the cupcake. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

3. Pipe the blue, yellow, green and red buttercream randomly into the cupcakes. Pipe the brown buttercream on top in a swirling motion, concealing the colored buttercream.

4. Place the sorting hats on top and enjoy!

4. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining buttercream and beat until well combined. Place the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large, star-shaped piping tip – I recommend the #2D piping tip.

- aspen