Fiesta-fun cupcakes!
Vanilla Frosting
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. shortening, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
On medium speed, beat butter and shortening until fluffy, 2 minutes. On low, gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, then vanilla. On medium-high, beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.
Taco Cupcakes
DECORATIONS 2 Tbs. yellow fondant, such as Wilton Decorator Preferred CUPCAKES 1 pkg. (15.25 oz.) dark chocolate fudge cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
FROSTING Vanilla Frosting, recipe above
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 Tbs. milk
ASSEMBLY 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Green liquid food coloring
Red gumdrops
18 Golden Oreo cookies Line rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Roll out fondant to 1/16" thickness. Cut into 1/2"x1/8" pieces. Transfer to baking sheet; let dry at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liners. On low speed, beat cake mix, 1 cup water, eggs, oil, cinnamon and cayenne 30 seconds; on medium, beat 2 minutes. Evenly divide among cupcake liners. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. Transfer from pans to racks; cool completely. Transfer 1/4 cup vanilla frosting to plastic sandwich bag; snip 1/8" opening in one corner and reserve. On low speed, beat cocoa and milk into remaining frosting until smooth. Transfer 1/2 cup chocolate frosting to plastic sandwich bag; snip 1/8" opening in one corner and reserve. Spread cupcakes with remaining chocolate frosting.
Place coconut in plastic sandwich bag; add a drop of food coloring. Seal bag; shake and press until coconut is tinted green. Cut gumdrops into 1/4" pieces.
For each taco, separate cookie into 2 pieces; remove filling. Carefully cut each cookie piece in half, as shown. Pipe some of reserved chocolate frosting between 2 cookie piece halves, pressing cut sides together at an angle, as
shown. Top with coconut, fondant strips and gumdrop pieces.
Pipe on squiggles of reserved white frosting,
as shown, and place on cupcake. Repeat to make remaining tacos. Makes 18 cupcakes.