Groundhog Cupcakes

These cupcakes from Bakerella are probably the single most adorable cupcakes I've ever made, and they're quite tasty as well. (They're topped with candy, so of course they are tasty.) She's spot on with her recommendations for the candies to use to make these cute cupcakes.

I think these will have to be a tradition for us. The one thing I might consider changing would be to put a peanut butter filling inside the cupcake or a mini peanut butter cup inside just to make the cupcake itself a bit more interesting. The cupcake recipe, though, for a one-bowl simple recipe makes a mighty tasty cupcake.

I was a bit misleading when I shared these on Facebook because I said, "I could really gopher a cupcake right now!" So if you need a gopher cupcake, these will work, too. (And if you find a reason you need a gopher cupcake, let me know. That will give me another reason to make these.)

Groundhog Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup hot water

Frosting
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa
2 Tbsp. milk

Garnish

18 peanut butter cups

36 candy eyes

72 Hershey's Drops

36 brown M & Ms or Reese's Pieces

18 black candy balls

1 marshmallow

Edible food black marker

Handful of chocolate chips

10 chocolate cookies, pureed into crumbs

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Fill cupcake tray with 18 cupcake liners.

 

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together with a wire whisk. Add eggs, oil, vanilla and milk, and mix until combined. Add hot water, and mix. It will be very liquid. Pour batter into a large spouted measuring cup for ease, and fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 minutes or until done.

 

While cupcakes are baking, make the groundhogs. Melt a few chocolate chips in the microwave to use to "glue" everything together. Unwrap the peanut butter cups, and place on a baking sheet. Use a toothpick to apply the chocolate "glue" to the black noses into place. Then "glue" the 2 Hershey's Drops, and place as cheeks. Add the candy eyes in the same manner, and let the chocolate harden. Cut marshmallow into 18 small pieces, and glue on for teeth. (The original recipe called for marshmallow bits, but I improvised because I couldn't find them at the store.) Use the food marker to draw between the teeth. Repeat for all groundhogs.

For chocolate frosting, beat butter until creamy. Add vanilla, and mix. Slowly add powdered sugar and cocoa, and mix until combined. Add 1-2 Tablespoons milk, and mix until creamy and smooth.

Use a knife or offset spatula to frost cupcakes. Dip into cookie crumbs to add the dirt to your cupcake. Then carefully place a groundhog onto each cupcake. Smash the frosting up behind it to hold it in place if needed. Add 2 more Hershey's Drops for paws by placing them in the frosting. Glue on M & Ms or Reese's Pieces for ears. Makes 18 of the most adorable cupcakes ever!