Panda Cupcakes

I made these panda cupcakes for a friend's Chinese New Year Party. They were fairly easy to make compared to the penguin and duck cupcakes. I made a plain vanilla sponge and vanilla buttercream frosting but might try a cookies and cream cupcake next time.

I made these in a bit of a hurry so only managed to make 4 complete pandas. I made the panda faces with the rest of the cupcakes. I now have a mountain of crushed oreos so I feel some oreo cupcakes coming on :)

getting ingredients ready - crushed oreos (body), chocolate raisins (nose), chocolate chips (eyes), weetos (ears), black and white frosting

place mini marshmallow on the lower third of the cupcake (I didnt have any so I cut up some regular sized ones)

Spread frosting on top, covering the marshmallow to make the muzzle

pipe a mouth just below the muzzle with a small vertical line up to the top of the muzzle.

pipe eye patches above and to either side of the muzzle.

add 2 chocolate chips, pointed side in for the eyes

and a chocolate raisin for the nose (the book suggested chocolate coated sunflower seeds)

press 2 weetos into the frosting on either side of the top edge to make the ears

spread frosting on top of the larger cupcake and create a mound. Roll in crushed oreos to make the black belly fur.

place the mini cupcake heads on their sides on top of the standard cupcakes, lining the faces up with the fur bodies. Add 1/2 and oreo cookie cut side in on either side of the cupcake to make the arms. Pipe 3 small lines of frosting on the arms to make the claws. Pipe a small white highlight in each eye.

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