Clown Fish Cupcakes Recipes

SCHOOL-OF-FISH CUPCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with blue paper liners. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter in a separate bowl with a electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
• Beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches on low speed, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, then beat on medium-high speed until just combined.
• Spread half of the batter in the cake pan and divide the remaining half among the paper liners. Bake until the tops spring back and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes for the cupcakes and 30 to 35 minutes for the cake layer. Let cool 5 minutes in the pans, then remove to a baking rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream: Beat the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt and beat on low to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk, a tablespoon at a time, to make a spreadable frosting. Add the food coloring, a drop at a time, to make a medium blue color.
• Frost the cupcakes with about half of the buttercream. Halve the cake layer crosswise. Cut a small "V" from the middle of the flat side of one piece to make a fish tail. Frost both layers with the remaining buttercream.
• For the decoration: Shingle the M&Ms on one half of each cupcake to make the fish scales (you will have enough for 2 cupcakes per color, with some of each leftover for the tail). Add a candy eyeball to each. Insert 2 red cinnamon candies on the opposite side from the scales to make fish lips. Halve 6 of the white gumdrops crosswise, then halve those pieces lengthwise to make half-moons. Stick 2 pieces of white gumdrop at the top and bottom of each cupcake for the fins.
• Stick a white gumdrop near the top of the cake fish head. Top with a black M&M, using a little frosting to make it adhere.
• Halve the red gumdrop crosswise. Halve one piece lengthwise to make half-moons and stick to the rounded side of the cake fish head for lips. Set the head at the left side of your serving tray. Follow the head with the cupcakes to make the fish body. Fit the tail on the tray at the end. Shingle the remaining M&Ms on the tail in stripes to make fish scales.

CLOWN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.
• Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat using an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Alternate adding flour mixture and all the milk in small amounts, mixing well after each addition.
• Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Beat using an electric mixer until creamy. Add confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons at a time and mix. Add vanilla extract after 1/2 the confectioners' sugar has been incorporated.
• Frost each cooled cupcake with a layer of cream cheese frosting. Place 2 chocolate chips for eyes, 1 red M&M® candy for the nose, and 1 gummy worm for the mouth on each cupcake. Place 2 rows of orange M&M's® on top to make the hair.

FRIENDLY CLOWN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, butter and eggs. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake and cool as directed for cupcakes.
• On surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar, roll each color fondant to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut 12 (2-inch) triangles from each color.
• Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. Use black decorating gel to draw eyes and mouths on cupcakes. Place red candies on cupcakes for nose. Place fondant triangle on each cupcake for hat; decorate hats with yellow decorating icing. Attach star tip to tube of red decorating icing; pipe onto cupcakes next to hats for hair.

CLOWN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake batter according to package directions for cupcakes. Cool completely on wire racks. Divide two cans of frosting among three bowls; tint with yellow, red and blue food coloring., For clown hats, use a serrated knife or kitchen scissors to cut 2 in. from the open end of each cone. Frost cones with tinted frosting; decorate with baking bits. Place on waxed paper for 30 minutes or until frosting is set., Frost cupcakes with remaining vanilla frosting. Leaving room for the hat on each cupcake, make a clown face and hair with candies. Pipe a matching ruffle on each. Carefully position a hat on each cupcake.

THE CLOWN HAT

Steps:

• For the Clown Hats: Melt white chocolate in microwave. Fill each cup all the way to the top with melted chocolate. Invert the paper cup over the bowl of chocolate and allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Place the paper cups upside down on a wire rack placed over a parchment paper covered baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set. When use a sharp paring knife to gently trim the chocolate off the bottom (opening) of each hat. Then peel off the paper cone. To adhere the M&Ms baking bits to the hats, heat the tip of a paring knife in boiling water. Dry it off and gently press it against the chocolate hat to melt the spot for the candy. Immediately press an M&M into the chocolate hat. Use as many as you like to decorate hat. For the Raisin Creme Brulee: Hydrate the raisins by placing the raisins in a mixing bowl or glass jar and add water so that it covers the raisins by at least 1/2 inch. Stir in the rum or flavored alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. It is even better to allow the raisins to hydrate for 2 to 3 days; they will become very plump as they absorb the liquid. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a few weeks. When you are ready to use them, strain the amount that you need through a fine-mesh sieve before adding them to the recipe. Preheat the oven to 320 degrees. Sprinkle the hydrated raisins over the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Pour the heavy cream and milk into a nonreactive 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and set over medium heat. Use a sharp paring knife to slice the vanilla bean in half again, this time lengthwise. Separate the seeds from the outside skin by scraping the bean with the knife. Place the skin and seeds in the heating cream. Scald the cream by heating it until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Continue to whisk as you slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous in color. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean pieces and any overcooked eggs. Your next step will be made easier if you strain the mixture into a large measuring cup with a spout. Place the cake pan on a baking sheet with 1-inch high sides. Fill the cake pan with the custard and set the baking sheet in the oven. Use hot water from the tap and pour enough water onto the baking sheet to reach halfway up the side of the pan. If you are using a convection oven, a water bath is not needed because the even circulation of the air insulates the custard from the direct heat of the oven. If using a convection oven, preheat to 200 degrees. Baking time is about the same for either oven, about 50 minutes When baked correctly, the custard should tremble slightly when gently shaken. If you detect any liquid under the skin, the custard is underbaked. Put it back in the oven and shake it every 5 minutes until it is ready. Remove the mold from the oven and the water bath and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving; it will finish setting in the refrigerator. Let the water bath cool before removing it from the oven. *See Puff Pastry recipe and insert here(separate recipe because of space limitations). For assembling the clown hats, use a paring knife to carefully cut a small circle from the top of each puff pastry shell. Set the top aside to use later. Use your finger to remove the doughy inside from the shell. Fill the shell with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and reposition the puff pastry circle. Place the clown hat on top of the puff pastry. Decorate the plate with fruit sauces.
• For the Caramelized Banana Saute: Peel and dice the banana into 1/4-inch cubes. Place them in a small mixing bowl with the rum or Grand Marnier and about 1/3 of the sugar and let macerate for 10 minutes. Heat a medium-size heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. If it starts to smoke, the pan is too hot and you need to run it under cool water, dry it, and start again. When warm, sprinkle the remaining sugar into the pan. Try to keep the sugar in an even layer to allow it to caramelize at the same time. As soon as you see the sugar begin to melt. Start moving the pan over the burner to keep the sugar from burning. Tilt the pan from side to side so that the melted sugar runs over the unmelted sugar. Cook until all of sugar is light golden brown. I usually add the butter at this stage because it makes the caramel smoother. Add the banana mixture and spread it evenly in the pan. Let cook over medium-high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and the bananas are soft but not mushy. If the bananas are still firm when most of the liquid has evaporated, add a few tablespoons of water and continue cooking until they are ready. Remove from the heat and pour the caramelized bananas onto a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• For the Raspberry Sauce: Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Add the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, incorporating it well after each addition and making sure any lumps are dissolved. Add lemon juice and blend again. Strain the sweetened puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. This will separate the pulp from the fruit puree and remove any small seeds. Stir the puree until completely smooth. For the Mango Sauce: Peel and remove pits of mangos. Chop into medium-size pieces. Puree the fruit until completely smooth. Add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, incorporating it well after each addition and making sure any lumps are dissolved. Strain the sweetened puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir the puree until completely smooth.

CUPCAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and fill a 12 cupcake tray with cases.
• Using an electric whisk beat 110g softened butter and 110g golden caster sugar together until pale and fluffy then whisk in 2 large eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Add ½ tsp vanilla extract, 110g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, whisk until just combined then spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
• Bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the buttercream, whisk 150g softened butter until super soft then add 300g icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
• Whisk together until smooth (start off slowly to avoid an icing sugar cloud) then beat in 3 tbsp milk.
• If wanting to colour, stir in the food colouring now. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.