Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes – Make Disney Cupcakes at Home!

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If you can’t get to Disney, then bring Disney home to you with these delightful Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes. Don’t worry, they are not as complicated as they look! You will need a box of Vanilla cake mix, vanilla frosting, fondant bow, and donut ears (inspired by the ones in the Disney Parks!) and Mickey Mouse sprinkles. Voilà!

Vanilla cupcake topped with white frosting, Mickey Mouse sprinkles, fondant donut"ears" and a red fondant bow. Text overlay says"Disney Cupcakes at Home! Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes". Same cupcakes featured throughout from various angles, with different text overlays, unless otherwise described.

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Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.

If you have visited the Disney Parks around the world you will know that Mickey/Minnie ear headbands are a big deal! There are so many different ones, and I am obsessed with them! I buy several pairs on each of our trips to Walt Disney World, and have quite the collection now!

A coveted pair of ears, which I didn’t manage to pick up on our previous trip in 2019 are the donut ears – these adorable Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes are based on those ears! See my pic below:

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The ears and bow of the cupcakes are made using fondant, which might look tricky, but it’s not as difficult as you might think.

If you’re an experienced cake maker you can probably jump straight to the recipe at the end of this post and get baking! But if not, please read through the steps as I’ve got lots of tips and suggestions along the way!

Disney Donut Ears Cupcakes

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe

You may have some baking ingredients in your kitchen already – the full list with measurements is found in the recipe card.

For your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed to make these cupcakes have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.

Cupcakes & Frosting Ingredients

Decorating Ingredients

  • Wilton Fondant – these come in 4.4oz packages and just the right size for these cupcakes, but you can use any brand you like.
  • Wilton Cookie Icing – this ready-made icing comes in bottles and is great for piping details onto cookies, cakes, and fondant decorations! You will need pink for these cupcakes. If you want to make your own icing to pipe with, please be my guest, but this shortcut saves time! There are other brands that you can use too – use what is available in your area!
  • Mickey Mouse Sprinkles Mix – you can use any sprinkles that you like to make your mix. We used DecoPac Mickey Mouse Sprinkles and Red, White & Black Nonpareils. Whatever you use, you will want about 2 cups of sprinkles mix to decorate the cupcakes.

Cupcake Decorating Equipment

  • Round Cookie Cutter – to cut out Minnie’s Donut Ears you will need a 3″/7.5cm cutter and a 1″/2.5cm cutter.
  • Fondant Rolling Pin – these have a smooth surface and won’t leave a texture on your fondant when rolling out.
  • Wilton Fondant Bow Mold – this one from Wilton is the one used to make the bow you see in the photos in this post. However, for some reason, it’s not available on Amazon, which is super annoying as I use Amazon for everything! Ultimately, use whichever bow mold you can to make a 2″/5cm bow.
  • Large Piping Bags – you can use disposable or reuseable, your choice.
  • Large Star Tip – for example, Wilton 1M
  • Round Tip – Wilton #2
  • Ice Cream Scoop – having a set of scoops – small, medium, and large – will help with all your cupcake-making needs like dividing cupcake batter or scooping out frosting evenly.

Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog! I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

More Disney-Inspired Recipes

Want to bring some more Disney Magic home? Try these recipes next:

Cute Disney Minnie Cupcakes (Donut Ears!)

Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes Recipe Tips

There are elements of these cupcakes that are made with fondant – the donut ears and Minnie’s bow.

Fondant needs time to dry before using as cake decorations, so allow up to 24 hours to get the pieces made before making and decorating your cupcakes.

Fondant Tips

If you have never worked with fondant before, don’t panic – it is really easy to use, follow my tips and you’ll be just fine!

  • Line a cookie sheet(s) or tray(s)with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat to place the fondant pieces on to dry.
  • Dust your work surface with powdered sugar (icing sugar) (or cornstarch (cornflour)) so that the fondant doesn’t stick. Think of it like the way you use flour when rolling out dough.
  • Rub a little powdered sugar into your hands and knead a handful of the fondant to make it more pliable before rolling, rather than using straight from the package.
  • Dust your rolling pin too, and roll fondant to about ¼” thick. Some fondant rolling pins have guides you can use. You don’t want it too thick as it will take ages to dry, and you don’t want it too thin as it will become more tricky to work with.
  • Cutting the Ears: Pour a little pile of powdered sugar onto your surface and dip the cookie cutter into it before cutting the ears – again, this is to prevent sticking.
  • Using a Silicone Mold: Dust with powdered sugar before pressing some fondant into the cavity and leveling off, before gently popping out and leaving to dry.
  • If there is excess powdered sugar on the pieces, you can gently brush away with a pastry brush, or an unused, clean paintbrush.
  • Alternatively, you can use a vodka spray. Pour some vodka into a mini spray bottle and gently mist the fondant wings. Vodka dries quicker than water which is why it is usually used when handling fondant.
  • Always make extra pieces – that way if some break or you have another mishap, you have got backups that you can use.
  • Leave the cut fondant pieces to harden in a cool, dry place – do not place in the fridge.
  • The fondant pieces should be solid enough to handle and insert into the cupcakes after 3 – 6 hours. I personally like to leave fondant pieces to dry for around 24 hours. How long this takes, however, is based on the size and thickness of the fondant, and how humid your house is, so judge best if they will hold up as they need to in the cupcakes.
  • When making cakes or cupcakes that use fondant decorations I like to make them a few days ahead of time which allows for drying without stress. Fondant that isn’t dry enough can mean disappointing end results.
  • After using fondant the surface will be super sticky (it always is in my experience!) so you will probably have to wipe away the sugar first, then give it a soapy hot wash over, and then another clean over! You can always buy a fondant rolling mat for easier cleanup!
  • Always keep fondant covered when making decorations to prevent it from drying out. And when you’ve finished, wrap up any remaining fondant very well – I double wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container. This keeps it fresh and you are able to use it for future cake making!

Cupcake Making Tips

  • These cupcakes are made using a box of cake mix – the flavor is enriched by using butter, milk, and eggs, instead of the usual oil, water, and eggs.
  • You can use Disney-themed cupcake liners to bake your cupcakes in if you like or stick to a complementary color.
  • Use an ice cream scoop to equally divide the cupcake mixture between the cupcake liners. Fill them about three-quarters full.
  • The cupcakes should be ready in about 20 minutes – test their doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cakes. It should come out clean when the cupcakes are cooked through. Bake for an extra 2 minutes and check again.
  • Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cupcake Frosting Tips

  • When making the frosting you want the end result to be creamy, smooth, and to hold a stiff peak. You may have to adjust the amount of powdered sugar and cream slightly to achieve the consistency you need.
  • These cupcakes are double-frosting, the first layer is flattened and rounded off a bit to create the base for lots of sprinkles, and then there is a swirl of two-tone frosting on top of that.
  • Put an ice cream scoop to good use again for the first frosting layer and use a knife or angled spatula to level it off.
  • SPRINKLES! Speaking of sprinkles, use any type you like in this recipe – you’ll need about 2 cups of them to cover the cupcakes.
  • You will need 2 piping bags and a round #2 tip and a large star tip to decorate these cupcakes.
  • If you feel like you are going to be making a lot of cakes and cupcakes in your future, I think it is worth investing in a set of piping tips so that you know you always have the right ones on hand for a recipe.
  • Do not overfill the piping bag with frosting, and make sure you squeeze the frosting down the bag to expel any air bubbles.
  • If you are not confident with your piping skills you can practice on some parchment paper first and scoop the frosting back into the bag to use on the cupcakes.
Minnie Mouse Cupcakes with Donut Ears

More Disney Cupcake Recipes

Looking for more Disney cupcakes to make? Check these recipes out next:

How Do I Make Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes?

Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients, and instructions. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, the pics don’t print to save your ink!).

How to Make Disney Donut Ears Cupcakes

Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

Yield: 24
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

If you can’t get to Disney, then bring Disney home to you with these delightful Donut Ears Minnie Mouse Cupcakes!

Ingredients

For the Fondant Ears & Bow

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 box of french vanilla cake mix
  • ½ cup of softened unsalted butter
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 large eggs

For the Frosting

  • 1½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4½ cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
  • 5-7 Tbsp heavy whipping cream (double cream)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Sprinkles Mix**

Instructions

  1. Use cornstarch as you would flour when making dough. Dust your work surface, hands, rolling pin, and cutters. Line a cookie sheet or tray with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
  2. Knead the ivory fondant in your hands to make it soft and pliable and roll to ¼"/0.5cm thick.
  3. Using a 3"/7.5cm round cookie cutter, cut out 48 Minnie ears.
  4. Using a 1"/2.5cm round cooki cutter, cut ou the center of the ears make donuts.
  5. Place the donut ears onto the prepared cookie sheet.
  6. Squeeze the pink icing into a piping bag fitted with a round #2 piping tip and pipe around the circle to create the icing on top of a donut and add a few Mickey sprinkles on top as you like.
  7. Leave the donut ears to dry overnight or for 24 hours if possible.
  8. To make the bows, use a silicone bow mold and dust the mold with cornstarch each time you make a fondant bow. The bows should be about 2"/5cm wide.
  9. Pinch off a small piece of red fondant and press into the bow mold cavity. Carefully remove from mold and set on the cookie sheet to dry overnight or for 24 hours if possible. Repeat to make 24 bows total.
    TIP! Always make extra fondant decorations as backup!
  10. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners and set aside.
  11. Using an electric handheld or stand mixer, place the cake mix, butter, milk, and eggs into a large bowl and mix until combined and smooth.
  12. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the cupcake batter between the liners - about three-quarters full.
  13. Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  14. Leave to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
  15. To make the frosting, use an electric stand or handheld mixer and add the butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla to the bowl.
  16. Beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth and stiff peaks form.
  17. Transfer 1 cup of frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a star tip. Set aside.
  18. Pour the red, white, black, and Mickey sprinkles into a bowl and stir to mix.
  19. Use a medium ice cream scoop to place a scoop of frosting on top of each cooled cupcake and use an angled spatula or knife to smooth and flatten slightly.
  20. Dip into the sprinkles to cover.
  21. Using the prepared frosting bag, pipe a swirl of frosting on top of the sprinkles layer.
  22. Place a red fondant bow in the center of the frosting.
  23. Place the donut ears on either side of the bow.
  24. Enjoy and Have a Magical Day!

    Notes

    *You can use prepared pink cookie icing and transfer it to a piping bag, or make your own royal icing to pipe on the donut icing. Alternatively, you could buy tubes of pink icing that are ready to use. Use what is available to you in your area and skill set.

    **You will need around 2 cups total of sprinkles.

    Special Equipment Needed:

    • Wilton Fondant Bow Mold
    • 1 (3"/7.5cm) Round Fondant/Cookie Cutter
    • 1 (1"/2.5cm) Round Fondant/Cookie Cutter
    • 2 Large Piping Bags
    • 1 Round #2 Piping Tip
    • 1 Open Star (#1M) Piping Tip
    • 1 Medium Ice Cream Scoop

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    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 427Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 188mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 0gSugar: 33gProtein: 3g

    This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

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    © Michelle Ordever
    Cuisine: American / Category: Cupcakes
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