Bug Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cake
Icing
Cupcake liners
5 Small bowls
5 tints of food coloring
Serrated knife
Small offset spatula
Gumdrops
Licorice strings
Pastry bags, couplers, and round tips

Prepare: 1 recipe One-Bowl Chocolate Cake in cupcake liners (or just a boxed cake mix); and 1 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream or Simple Sugar Icing. Divide frosting into 5 small bowls, and tint each bowlful a different color with food coloring.


1. Use a serrated knife to cut the domed tops evenly off of each cooled cupcake. Cut each top in half.

2. Use a small offset spatula to evenly spread 1 1/2 tablespoons colored frosting over each flat cupcake top. Then position halved cupcake tops on top of frosted cupcakes, pressing gently to adhere wings to soft frosting. To make bugs, attach tops with the domed side up and points meeting just inside edge of cupcake and extending off the opposite side. To create butterflies, attach pieces, cut side up, with rounded edges in center of cupcake (domed shape will create angled wings). Refrigerate until frosting is firm and wings are secure, about 30 minutes.

3. Prepare gumdrop and licorice heads: Snip licorice strings on a diagonal into 1 1/2-inch lengths. Use a toothpick to make 2 holes in the top of each gumdrop on opposite sides. Insert the pointed end of a licorice strip into each hole to create antennae. Using extra frosting as glue, attach gumdrop head to cupcake.

4. Decorate wings as desired with assorted colored frostings: Place frosting in pastry bags fitted with couplers and round tips, and pipe over surface of wings. Alternatively, gently spread frosting with a small offset spatula over the surface of the wings as desired. For lots of frosting, spread each wing with a base coat of frosting first and pipe out decorations in a different color. For just a touch of frosting, pipe simple decorations onto the bare black wings.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake:


* Unsalted butter, for pans
* 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 cups sugar
* 1 tablespoon baking soda
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 3 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter round or square cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment, and dust with cocoa.
2. Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, stir in eggs, 1 1/2 cups warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake, rotating once, until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes for 8-inch layers, depending on amount of batter.
4. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely, right side up on rack.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Ingredients:

(Makes about 6 cups)

* 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 6 egg whites
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy and pale. Transfer to small bowl.
2. In double boiler over simmering water, whisk sugar and egg whites until warm and sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl of electric mixer; beat on high with whisk attachment until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes.
3. Reduce mixer to medium-low; add butter a scant 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
4. Switch to paddle attachment; beat on lowest speed 3 to 5 minutes. Leave at room temperature if using same day. Or store airtight in refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature; beat until smooth.