Star Studded Celebration Cupcakes Recipes

STAR WARS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Bake and cool 24 cupcakes as directed on box.
• In small bowl, tint 1 cup of the vanilla frosting with gel food color to make ivory frosting. Using photo as a guide, decorate cupcakes to make 5 of Princess Leia, 5 of Luke Skywalker, 5 of Yoda, 5 of Darth Vader and 4 of Chewbacca, or any other combination of characters as desired.
• To make Princess Leia: Frost cupcake with ivory-tinted frosting. Fill decorating bag (fitted with regular tip) with chocolate frosting; pipe chocolate frosting on top of cupcake to make hair. For mouth, on lightly sugared surface, roll out red gumdrop to 4-inch circle with rolling pin, and cut out mouth; attach to cupcake. For eyes, add brown candy-coated chocolate candies. For hair buns, attach 2 peppermint patties, 1 on each side of cupcake, using small amount of chocolate frosting. Carefully pipe chocolate frosting on top of each patty. Repeat for as many cupcakes as desired.
• To make Luke Skywalker: Frost cupcake with ivory-tinted frosting. For hair, on lightly sugared surface, roll out yellow gumdrop to 4-inch circle with rolling pin, and cut out for hair; attach to cupcake. For mouth, on lightly sugared surface, roll out red gumdrop to 4-inch circle, and cut out mouth; attach to cupcake. For eyes, add blue candy-coated chocolate candies. To make light saber, wrap top three-fourths of pretzel stick in rolled green or blue gumdrop, and stick in side of cupcake, or attach to side with small amount of frosting. Repeat for as many cupcakes as desired.
• To make Yoda: Frost cupcake with untinted vanilla frosting. For face, on lightly sugared surface, roll out green gumdrop to 4-inch circle with rolling pin. Completely cover top of frosted cupcake with circle, and trim edges. Attach candy eyeballs with small amount of frosting. For ears, roll out another green gumdrop to approximately 1 1/2-inch circle, and cut in half; pinch ends of each piece to form ears; attach to cupcake, using pretzel stick. Using extra rolled-out gumdrop, cut small crescent-shaped pieces to add around the eyes, and add a small piece for the nose. Add additional strips along edges of face. Pipe on mouth using black gel pen. Repeat for as many cupcakes as desired.
• To make Darth Vader: Frost cupcake with untinted vanilla or chocolate frosting. For face, on lightly sugared surface, roll out black gumdrop to 2 1/2-inch circle; trim to shape, and attach to top of cupcake. To make face, use black gel pen on top of rolled-out gumdrop. To make mouth, use black gel pen, or cut small section of black licorice; attach to cupcake. To make light saber, wrap top three-fourths of pretzel stick in rolled red gumdrop, and stick in side of cupcake, or attach to side with small amount of frosting. Repeat for as many cupcakes as desired.
• To make Chewbacca: Switch tip on decorating bag of chocolate frosting to basket-weave tip; pipe sections of chocolate frosting on top of cupcake to look like fur. Continue until covered. Attach candy eyeballs, and use black gel pen for mouth. Repeat for as many cupcakes as desired.

"YOU'RE A STAR!" CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make, bake and cool cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes, adding almond extract with the water.
• Meanwhile, on sheet of paper, draw five-pointed star (about 2 inches wide) to use as pattern.
• In small bowl, place half of frosting. Dip toothpick into paste food color; stir food color into frosting in bowl until color is evenly distributed and desired shade. Frost 12 cupcakes with blue frosting. Frost remaining 12 cupcakes with white frosting; sprinkle blue candy sprinkles over white cupcakes.
• In small microwavable bowl, place candy coating. Microwave uncovered on High 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave 10 seconds longer. Place in heavy-duty food storage plastic bag; seal bag and cut tiny hole in one bottom corner of bag.
• Place paper star pattern under large sheet of waxed paper. Squeezing bag of candy coating, trace the star on waxed paper; move pattern under waxed paper to make 12 stars. Let stars cool until set, about 5 minutes. Remove stars from waxed paper; insert 1 star in each of 12 cupcakes. Store loosely covered.

SMALL-BATCH CELEBRATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 6 hollows of a standard muffin tin with paper baking cups, skipping every other cup to allow for extra air circulation. Whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
• Drizzle in butter and beat until crumbly. Slowly beat in milk mixture, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Divide evenly among baking cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
• Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from tin and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• For the Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and salt and continue to beat until completely incorporated and frosting is smooth and creamy. Frost cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles; enjoy the same day they're made.

STARS AND STRIPES CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, sour cream, oil, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and the eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in cherries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, water, corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon over cupcakes, using back of spoon to spread. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Place 1 candy star on each cupcake as shown. Using writing tip, pipe icing in wavy stripes on each cupcake to look like flag. Store loosely covered.

CELEBRATION CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with paper cases. Put the eggs, yogurt, vanilla, sugar, flour, almonds and butter in your largest mixing bowl and beat until smooth and lump-free. Divide between the paper cases and bake for 25-30 mins (swapping the trays after 15 mins if you have to use 2 shelves) until a skewer poked into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. They can be frozen for up to 1 month or kept in an airtight container overnight.
• To decorate, beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth and light. Use a teaspoon to spoon a heaped dollop into the centre of each cake or, for speed, spoon into a food bag, cut about 2cm off the corner and pipe a dollop onto each.
• Divide the icing into as many colours as you want - plus a piece left to be white, or to brush with glitter, if you like. Knead a little colouring into each piece until you have a good colour, then roll out onto a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Use a 6.5cm fluted cutter to stamp out rounds and press down onto the icing to flatten it a bit. Repeat with the other colours to cover all the cakes. Now decorate as you wish, or see our ideas, below.