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Clown Cupcakes

Encourage a bit of clowning around with these crowd-pleasing cupcakes, brought to life with features fashioned from colorful sprinkles and candy. Cone-shaped pieces of cake cut from the centers become pointed hats that rest atop heads (and hidden bellies) piped with creamy frosting.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 24

Ingredients

24 Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes (page 26)
Swiss Meringue Buttercream (page 304)
Multicolored round candy sprinkles (nonpareils)
3 pounds mini uncoated gumdrops, such as Dots
24 small cinnamon candies, such as Red Hots
Long chocolate sprinkles

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    For the hat, use a paring knife to score a circle in center of each cupcake. Holding knife at a slight angle, cut out a cone shape, rotating cupcake as you go.

    Step 2

    Using a pastry bag fitted with only a plain coupler, pipe untinted buttercream into the cavity of each cupcake and in a mound on top for the head. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set.

    Step 3

    Using a small plain tip (#7), pipe a pompom of frosting on top of each cone-shaped piece; dip pompom in a bowl filled with multicolored sprinkles to coat completely. Place the cones on top of buttercream heads, pointed sides up. Arrange gumdrops around the base of each head to resemble a ruffled collar; press a cinnamon candy nose into each face. With kitchen tweezers, insert two chocolate sprinkles into each head for eyes. Serve immediately.

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