Baby Chick Cupcakes
These are so cute! I know, I know, the buttercream is a bit much but let’s stay in the “fun zone” for just a moment. When I make my buttercream I use real butter, heavy cream, and powdered sugar, and sometimes I use some type of flavorings. If you’re looking for the more stable frosting you can add a little bit of shortening. The most important thing when you start making these cuties is to have fun and enjoy the moment! Don’t forget to share your picture on Instagram tag @leanbellaskitchen and hashtag it #leanbellaskitchen. I love to see your finished product.
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Jump to Recipe
you need:
- Baked and cooled 12-15 cupcakes
- Mixer (handheld or stand mixer)
- One batch of the buttercream
- Off-set spatulas
- Small glass bowls or anything you have in hand to mix the colors of the buttercream
- Food coloring (yellow, orange, white, green, and black). If you’re looking for a plant-based coloring you can check out Chefmaster
- Tips #2 (small round tip) #3 (bigger round tip) #1A (large round tip) #233 (grass tip) #352 (leaf tip)
- Five 12″ decorating bags
- Sets of couplers
- Rubberbands
- Scissors
How to make the baby chick cupcakes
Step One
- Color the buttercream. Divide them according to the color you need (you need yellow, white, black, orange, and green).
- Fit tip #1A in a piping bag (you don’t need to use couplers for this bag). Fill the bag with yellow buttercream.
- Don’t forget to twist the end of the bag and tie it with a rubber band.
- Hold the cupcake, squeeze the bag, and pipe the body of the chick on top of the cupcake. Keep squeezing until you form a big round pile of buttercream.
Step Two
- Now we are piping the head of the chick.
- Use the same bag you use for the body of the chick.
- Squeeze the bag, pipe a smaller round pile of buttercream to form the head of the chick.
Step Three
- You’ll need three decorating bags filled with white, black, and orange buttercream.
- Use tip #3 and pipe two white dots on the eye area, then use tip #2 and pipe black dots on the white area of the eyes
- Fit a decorating bag with tip #3 (round tip) fill the bag with orange color, it’s a squeeze and a pull technique. Squeeze the bag and pipe the top beak, repeat and pipe the lower beak.
- Fit a decorating bag with tip #352 (leaf tip) fill the bag with yellow color, pipe the feathers. Squeeze the bag on both sides of the body. Then pipe one feather on top of the head.
Step four
- To finish the cupcakes, fit tip #233 (grass tip) in a decorating bag, and fill with pastel green buttercream.
- Squeeze the bag and pipe grass around the bottom of the chick.
- Pipe the legs of the chick. Using the orange bag, pipe two lines in the front of the body, then pipe three lines for the feet.
- Use pastel colors for sprinkles.
watch how to make it
Vanilla Cupcakes
Light and fluffy. Super moist cupcakes!
Equipment
- Mixer, handheld or stand mixer
- Spatulas
- Small bowls
- Cupcake baking pan
- Retractable cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter or one stick, softened
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 1/4 cup sourcream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup or 2 sticks real butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the cupcake pan with baking cups. In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients. Use a mixer with the paddle attachment. In the mixing bowl, add the butter and mix for 2 minutes or until fluffy, add the sugar, and continue mixing until well incorporated.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mix until fluffy and light in color. In a mixing cup, combine heavy cream or milk, sour cream, and vanilla, mix until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry and wet ingredients into the egg and butter mixture, mix at slow speed, continue mixing until well combined (do not over mix the batter).
- Use a regular size retractable scoop, and scoop the batter into the cupcake pan, about 3/4 full, don't overfill the cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack before decorating.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- Use a mixer with the whisk attachment. In the bowl, add the butter, mix at medium-high until fluffy.
- Lower the speed, gradually add the sugar and heavy cream. Continue mixing until well incorporated. Turn the mixer into high speed, mix the buttercream until creamy and fluffy. Aim for a stiff consistency.
Notes
- You can use different types of flavorings for your buttercream. I always use vanilla or lemon extract.
- You can also fill your cake with buttercream mixed with fruit preserve.
- If you don’t have a retractable scoop, you can use a measuring cup and measure about 1/4 cup of batter into each cup. Don’t over-fill the cups to avoid overflow.
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before decorating.
- For a more stable buttercream, replace one stick of butter with shortening. This way your buttercream doesn’t melt as fast as if you were to use all butter.
- I like to use a silicone cupcake pan, it makes it easier to release the cupcakes after baking.
- I love using smaller glass mixing bowls to mix my colors.
Equipment
ABOUT JEN
Welcome to my virtual home. I’m a mom of two wonderful girls and a Community Education Culinary Instructor. I love to prepare and cook home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. However, cooking and prepping meals will save you money, time, and you know what goes into your food. Definitely worth the effort. Read more…
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