Create: Pupcakes

Now published on FoodGawker.com

Monday 17th August is Cupcake Day for the RSPCA, a fundraiser for the animal welfare charity.

When my housemate mentioned a work team was having a bake-off, I just couldn't resist creating something.

My blood-pressure might have reached new highs while making these, but one look at the end product and my heart melts.

Awww, look at him.... :)


Here's a how-to guide:

You Will Need:

12 cupcakes (I cheated and used Betty Crocker Vanilla Cupcake mix)
12 Green patty tins
Vanilla Frosting (again, cheated and used Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting)
Green food colouring
Brown food colouring
"Disco Green Electric Neon" edible glitter (found mine at Cake Deco)
At least 12 Red and 12 Brown Mini M&Ms. I'm sure you'll find a use for the remaining colours :)
15cm Liquorice Strap = ears
12 Musk Lifesavers = collar
Confectioners Pen (black)
White Fondant or Marzipan or "White Icing" (might need White Food Colouring)
Regular icing sugar, made into a thick paste, to use as "glue" if necessary.
A ridiculous amount of patience


Method:

Make the cupcakes in patty tins.
When cool, cut the tops off so you have a flat surface.
Again, I'm sure you'll find a use for the scraps.

I used Ready-made white icing to shape the puppies:

I looked very hard for ready-made fondant. When I went into the cake decorating shop and asked for it, the lady laughed at me.

I'll show you inferior product, woman.

Kneed the White Icing until soft. Set aside a 2cm white ball for the eyes and bones.

To the rest, add brown food colouring until you have the shade you desire. You might have to refrigerate the icing for a while afterwards so it becomes workable again.

In the meantime, grab a sharp knife and split the teeny tiny widdle M&M's straight down the middle. Do not curse as they shatter one-by-one.

When your nerves return, pick up the knife again and this time cut 24 teeny tiny ears out of the liquorice. Mine were roughly 4mm wide and 10mm long.


Puppy Assembly:

By the time I made my last puppy, I had nailed the assembly technique. There strategically isn't any photos of the first couple of, um, "special" looking puppies I made.

Handy Hints:
* Make one puppy at a time. If you mould all the body parts first then try to stick them together the icing hardens in the meantime and you will end up with Fail.
* Do not drink caffeine before making these. Steady hands are essential.

(1) Roll a 2cm oval of icing for the head.

(2) Roll a 5mm ball of icing for the muzzle. Press into the head.

(3) Press half a red M&M underneath the muzzle

(4) Press half a brown M&M on top of the muzzle

(5) Press the ears onto the sides of the head, slightly towards the front and 1/3 of the way down the side of the face (otherwise you get special-looking puppies)

(6) For the eyes, roll two teensy bits of white icing into an oval between your fingers and press into the face. Use a confectioner's pen to draw-in the pupils.

(7) Press the head onto the lifesaver. Without squashing all the work you've done. Ha.

(8) Roll a 3cm long oval for the body. Squish the head onto the body. You might need to "glue" them together, so you don't get spontaneously decapitating puppies.

(9) For the paws, roll two 1cm balls of icing and press onto the bottom of the body. Using a knife, press three lines into each one.

(10) Make a mini bone out of the white icing, by rolling tiny sausages and attaching two little balls at each end. Try not to curse when the bits don't stick together.

(11) Repeat 12 times.

(12) In several hours time, once you've had a stiff drink or two, tint the frosting green for the grass and ice each cupcake.

PUT DOWN THE GLITTER TUB.

Yes, I know at this point you want to go to town with the sparkly-goodness, but you'll regret it when you end up with sparkly puppies after all that work you just finished.

If you simply cannot resist, only put glitter on HALF of the surface or the puppy will commit puppi-cide off the cake when you try and stick him on.


(13) While the frosting is still wet, press the puppy into the back half of the cupcake. If you have a brilliant cupcake store in your 'hood, like Crabapple Cupcakes, you may accessorise with a sugar-flower.
Otherwise, the other idea I had was to use a different coloured life-saver as a water-bowl and pipe blue-colouring frosting in the centre. Yawn.

(14) NOW you can go down to sparkle-town.

(15) Press one bone into the frosting. You'll understand why I said not to glitter everything till the end in the process. Delayed gratification rules, m'kay?

(16) Have a Bex and a lie-down. Your job is done!


Rawr! Pupcake Army