Garden Carrot Cupcake Directions

Chocolate Cupcakes Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
• Put paper cupcake liners in your cupcake pans or you can use silicone, which ever ones you prefer.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the hot brewed coffee and cocoa, until dissolved and set aside.
• In the bowl for your stand mixer, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Then add the butter and sugars.
• Beat on medium-high speed of your mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the coffee-cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Mix each addition just until incorporated, being careful not to over mix.
• Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds of the way full.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool in the pans briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Directions

• Bring the butter to room temperature. Do NOT put it in the microwave to soften, put it on the kitchen counter and soften.
• Add the butter and the shortening to the bowl of the stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle handle on the mixer to combine the two on medium speed.
• Once butter and shortening are combined slowly add in the confectioners sugar and mix it little bit little until the sugar is incorporated into the butter/shortening mixture then add in the Vanilla Extract and let the mixer whip the frosting for 10 minutes to bring it to fluffy frosting.
• If the frosting is thick add a little water a little bit at a time until you get to the consistency you are wanting.

How to Assemble Carrot Garden Cupcakes

• In a medium mixing bowl add 2 cups of buttercream with some orange food coloring and stir until well combined. Transfer the buttercream to your piping bag that is fitted with a straight piping tip.
• In another bowl add the rest of the buttercream frosting and leave white.
• Place your Oreos into the bowl of your food processor. Grind them until they make a nice soil consistency. Pour the Oreos into a large bowl.
• Pipe an even layer of buttercream onto the top of each cupcake.
• Dip the cupcakes into the ground Oreos making sure you keep a nice domed shape to each cupcake.
• Hold the piping bag filled with orange buttercream frosting straight above a cupcake and slowly press the buttercream into a small top of the carrot shape repeat this so you end up with three carrot tops on each cupcake.
• Cut your licorice into small pieces ranging from about half an inch to an inch long. Stick three licorice pieces into each carrot center.