Description
These Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes are a fun and whimsical treat perfect for parties and celebrations. Made by baking vanilla cupcake batter inside ice cream cones, topped with colorful vanilla buttercream frosting, sprinkles, candy melts drizzles, and a cherry on top, they look just like miniature ice cream cones but are delicious cupcakes.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 batch homemade vanilla cupcake batter (or 1 box vanilla cake mix)
- 12 ice cream cones
- 1 cup sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- Gel food coloring (electric blue, electric purple, and hot pink)
Decoration
- ¼ cup hot pink candy melts
- 12 cherries, dipped in blue glitter dust
Instructions
- Prepare Cupcake Batter: Prepare the vanilla cupcake batter according to the recipe or box instructions, ensuring it is smooth and ready to bake.
- Fill Ice Cream Cones: Line a cupcake pan with tin foil to stabilize the cones. Place each ice cream cone upright in the pan and pour the cupcake batter into each cone, filling about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
- Bake and Cool: Bake the cones with batter according to cupcake baking times specified in your recipe or box. Once baked, allow cupcakes to cool completely inside the cones before moving to frosting.
- Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the room temperature unsalted butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy and pale.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Add half of the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low until combined, then increase speed and beat well. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt; mix on low just until incorporated, then beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Adjust Consistency: If frosting is too thick, add additional heavy cream one tablespoon at a time to reach a smooth, creamy, and pipeable consistency.
- Coat Cupcake Edges with Sprinkles: Apply a thin layer of purple or white frosting around the edges of each cooled cupcake, then coat these edges with sprinkles; this step hides the cone edges perfectly.
- Color Frosting: Divide remaining frosting into three bowls and tint with electric blue, electric purple, and hot pink gel food colors, mixing well.
- Pipe Swirled Frosting: Combine the three colored frostings into a piping bag fitted with a large tip and pipe swirled frosting atop each cupcake, creating a colorful ice cream swirl effect.
- Melt Candy Melts: Gently melt the hot pink candy melts until smooth and slightly cool. Optionally add a teaspoon of oil to thin the melts if needed to create a drip effect.
- Decorate with Candy Melts and Toppings: Spread melted candy melts on top of the swirled frosting and let it drip down slightly resembling melting ice cream. Top each cupcake with a blue glitter-dusted cherry and additional sprinkles.
- Serve and Enjoy: Allow the candy melts to set briefly, then serve these charming ice cream cone cupcakes fresh at room temperature.
Notes
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Using gel food coloring prevents the frosting from thinning out compared to liquid food coloring.
- The thin frosting layer on cone edges helps the sprinkles stick and hides rough cone edges.
- You can customize the color of sprinkles and frosting as desired for different themes.
- Add a teaspoon of oil to candy melts if the melted consistency is too thick to drip properly.
- For best results, bake cones on a sturdy surface to avoid tipping.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
