Sea Turtle Cupcakes

I am really missing the beach this summer – I almost had a panic attack last night when I realized that the kids start back to school 4 weeks from Monday. How is that possible?? We are going to live it up the next few weeks as much as possible (well, at least as much as my wallet will let us).
Baking is a fun activity the kids and I enjoy doing together. So we are always trying to think of new designs and cute things we can do. Since my youngest daughter is a sea turtle lover, I knew she would love these sea turtle cupcakes. They are adorable, easy to make and most of all – delicious!

 

Cupcake Ingredients: 

1/2 C unsalted butter, room temp
2 egg whites
2 eggs
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 baking soda
3/4 C buttermilk
1 1/2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cupcake Directions: 

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line the cupcake tins with paper liners.
-Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.
-Beat butter on high for 30 seconds.
-Add sugar and  vanilla extract to the butter …. beating until well combined.
-Add egg whites, and then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter  mixture, beating on low speed until everything is mixed together.
-Add 1/3 C  flour mixture to the wet mixture followed by adding   1/3  C of the buttermilk; add 1/3 C flour mixture again then add 1/3 C  buttermilk mix on low speed, add 1/3 C of flour and add the rest of 1/3 C of buttermilk mix in low speed until  thoroughly blended.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted cupcake comes out clean.
-Allow to cool in the cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
-Remove the cupcakes from the cupcake tin and completely cool on a wire rack.

Frosting:

Frosting Ingredients:

1 C soft unsalted butter
4 + C powder sugar
4 TBSP heavy whipping cream
Blue  gel food coloring

Frosting Directions:

-Cream the butter and powder sugar until it looks light and creamy.
-If it doesn’t cream add  several drops of the heavy whipping cream.
-Test to see if the frosting can form and hold a stiff peak.
-If not add more powder sugar 1/2 C at a time.
-Test to make sure that the frosting can make and hold a stiff peak.
-Divide the frosting into half….. 1st bowl remains white….2nd bowl, add several drops of blue gel food coloring (Make sure it is a ocean blue color)… stir to mix well.
-Scoop the white frosting into a pastry bag with a large frosting tip….Scoop the blue frosting into the same pastry bag….. twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip. You may want to test this out to make sure that the frosting comes out with both the blue and white frosting at the same time.
-Frost the cupcakes by starting at the outer edge of the cupcake in a circle until you reach the center of the cupcake.

Frog:

Ingredients:

–Sour Apple Gummy ring candies
– Green gum drop candies
–Gum candy (similar to orange slices)
–Candy Eyes
-Toothpick or kitchen skewer

Directions:

– Turtle shell: Place a gummy ring on each cupcake…. place gum drop in the center of the gummy ring. Push the gum drop into the frosting.
-Fins: Cut the green (orange slice) candy into two pieces.  The top piece will be the front fins while the thicker piece is the hind fin.
-Head: a green gum drop will be the head…. use royal icing to “glue” the eyes on each side of the gum drop.
-Place the turtle into the frosting to hold it in place.