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Gator Cupcakes

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One of the many places that I’ve lived is Florida, and aside from oranges and crazy people, the thing the state is most known for is gators (and no, I’m not talking about that football team that lost hard to my alma mater at the annual rivalry game last year – Go Noles!). It’s not unusual to find an alligator wandering around the parking lot of your workplace once in a while – this happened to me at two different jobs – so Floridians are usually pretty blasé about the whole thing. That said, these Gator Cupcakes really have no right being so adorable when those scaly dudes are so creepy in person!

Gator Cupcakes

What You’ll Need to Make Gator Cupcakes:

Cupcake Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 cup soft unsalted butter
  • 4+ cup powdered sugar
  • 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
  • Blue and green gel food coloring

Gator cupcakes for kids

How to Make Gator Cupcakes:

Cupcake Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl containing the dry ingredients, mixing it all together until fully incorporated. Beat for 3 minutes on a medium setting.

Slowly add the boiling water to the mixture, starting with a small amount before pouring in the rest. The batter may be a little runny.

Scoop the batter into cupcake paper liners until they are 3/4 of the way full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting Directions:

Cream the butter and powdered sugar until it looks light and creamy. If it doesn’t look creamy enough, you can add a few drops of heavy whipping cream.

Add the blue food coloring and mix well. Test that the frosting can form stiff peaks by turning a spoonful of it upside down – if it stays on the spoon, the frosting is ready. If not, add more powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments and continue mixing.

When the frosting is ready, scoop it into a pastry bag (see pro-tip!) with a large tip and frost the cupcakes in a water design.

Repeat the process, replacing the blue food coloring with green, to get the color for the gators. Using a 13-inch round tip, form a capital “T” on top of the blue frosting, then place medium dollops on each side of the top of the “T” to make eyes. Place edible eyes in the center of each dollop. Add the gator’s nose by putting another medium-sized dollop on the bottom end of the “T” and add two mini chocolate chips.

Pro-tip: If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a Ziploc bag with one corner cut off as a makeshift one!

yummy character cupcakes

 

gatorcupcakes1

Gator Cupcakes

You don't have to go all the way to Florida to see some alligators. Just make yourself some Gator Cupcakes!

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 cup soft unsalted butter
  • 4+ cup powdered sugar
  • 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
  • Blue and green gel food coloring

Instructions

  1. Cupcake Directions:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl containing the dry ingredients, mixing it all together until fully incorporated. Beat for 3 minutes on a medium setting.
  5. Slowly add the boiling water to the mixture, starting with a small amount before pouring in the rest. The batter may be a little runny.
  6. Scoop the batter into cupcake paper liners until they are 3/4 of the way full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Frosting Directions:
  8. Cream the butter and powdered sugar until it looks light and creamy. If it doesn't look creamy enough, you can add a few drops of heavy whipping cream.
  9. Add the blue food coloring and mix well. Test that the frosting can form stiff peaks by turning a spoonful of it upside down - if it stays on the spoon, the frosting is ready. If not, add more powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments and continue mixing.
  10. When the frosting is ready, scoop it into a pastry bag (see pro-tip!) with a large tip and frost the cupcakes in a water design.
  11. Repeat the process, replacing the blue food coloring with green, to get the color for the gators. Using a 13-inch round tip, form a capital "T" on top of the blue frosting, then place medium dollops on each side of the top of the "T" to make eyes. Place edible eyes in the center of each dollop. Add the gator's nose by putting another medium-sized dollop on the bottom end of the "T" and add two mini chocolate chips.
  12. Pro-tip: If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a Ziploc bag with one corner cut off as a makeshift one!

 

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