Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes {No Melt}

 

My 5th grade daughter requested 1 dozen flooded sugar cookies for a lunch recess picnic with her friends TOMORROW – the thing with royal icing flooded cookies is DRYING time. She felt bad because she had told everyone she would bring the cookies and I felt bad since #1. I was helping her sister with a project and #2.  I was really proud of my daughter & her friends for coordinating what is essentially a “potluck” picnic lunch ~

Thankfully, this ice cream sundae cupcake idea that has been ALL over the web this week and luckily I had a bunch of cupcakes in the freezer ~ (also lucky that I REMEMBERED that I had the cupcakes in the freezer…) I was already ahead of the game. – Score 1 for team Mom.

Gotta love Pinterest for ideas and for making me a hero in my daughter’s eyes. — My daughter’s creations are featured below – Yup, even a 5th grader can make these ~  her  “mean” mom made her help… we were only half way done & she was telling me that she was tired and needed to go to bed. Yup, I think she got the point that Mom doesn’t just whip stuff up, it’s a lot of work (I wonder if I should save all the dishes for her, too?) — Anyway, even though she won’t be bringing the sugar cookies to school that she promised – I have a feeling she’s going to be a “hero”, at least for a day, when all her classmates see these. We made sugar cookies too – but, she accidentally turned the timer and they turned a little brown…we tried salvaging them — I think it’s probably best to stick to one baking project at a time. Lots of lessons in this post and this is where I admit she takes after her mama.

Isabella’s “mini” creations-after mean Mom decided that the big cupcakes would be TOO much for a school lunch recess picnic.

I used this The Best “accidental” Chocolate Cupcakes Ever, but you could use a box mix.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting:

• 2 cups butter (I use unsalted – use what you have)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 TBL Milk /Half and Half/Cream
• 2 tsp vanilla

SEE the vanilla bean flecks? no? Click on the photo to make it bigger, those vanilla bean specks are teeny. Totally impressive & clever idea – huh?

I added the seeds from a vanilla bean to give it more ice-cream like authenticity, and because I like putting my own touches on a recipe, and because I have 40 million vanilla beans that I’m trying to find uses for.

UPDATE: You can buy vanilla bean paste which already has the beans in it. Nielsen-Massey

Mx it all together, you can chill the frosting a little… depends on how much of a jiffy you are in. Then scoop out the frosting & glob it onto the cupcakes. Yes, “glob” it on – the less perfect mound you make, the better – think melting ice cream. You know, ice cream melts when you put HOT fudge on it. Or if you are a bit more of a perfectionist or don’t like licking, I mean washing your fingers, use a cookie scoop.

Next, be sure to add toppings BEFORE the chocolate hardens  which means you have to have them set aside & ready to add.

I used Maraschino cherries, because… you guessed it I had them (and they are my daughter’s favorite, but we used mini-red candy balls for the mini-cakes). I set out the number I planned to use on a paper towel to soak up the “juice”. We also had the sprinkles handy and the last thing we did, was prepare the chocolate topping.

I didn’t have candy melts and I didn’t have almond bark – so I mixed white chocolate with cocoa powder (it was dark enough, but it sure tasted yummy) so I added semi-sweet chocolate to the mix at about a 50/50 ratio. So you don’t need a specific measurement, just remember a 50/50 ratio if you don’t have candy melts. I used the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power as was suggested, stirred and then went to 30 seconds at 50%, then 15 seconds.  Melting it slowly is the key, so take your time.

UPDATE:  Chocolate/Candy Melts are made with hydrogenated oils so I prefer to use 2-Ingredient Magical Chocolate Shell Topping

I poured the chocolate over the frosting & my daughter sprinkled on the sprinkles. (I LOVE sprinkles and so does she)… Then, we placed the cherry on top -making sure to put the hole where the pit was removed down into the chocolate.

Totally FUN and EASY project. — A few more thoughts ~ – TOPPINGS — think any “holiday” or “celebration” imaginable & your can find a coordinating topping or sprinkle. I also think that you can add any flavor to the frosting – including alcohol for “adults” only of course. Lastly, if you are serving them right away – you could make take a piece of cupcake out of the middle and include a slice of banana and make “banana split” cupcake sundaes…

6 little cupcakes all in a row, until someone came along & uh, oh!!