Scrumptious Chocolate Minnie Mouse Sundae Cupcakes
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Delight the Disney fans in your life by creating these scrumptious and oh-so-cute Minnie Mouse Sundae Cupcakes! Chocolate cupcakes are topped with vanilla frosting, sprinkles, chocolate ganache, and of course some fondant Minnie Ears!
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Minnie Mouse Sundae 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.
Minnie Mouse Sundae Cupcakes are the perfect dessert for a Disney party or just as a fun treat at home when you’re missing the Disney parks!
The decorations 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!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
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. Standard ingredients such as flour or sugar are not listed, as you are likely to have those in your kitchen. The full list with measurements is found on the recipe card.
Cupcakes & Frosting Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – also known as Plain Flour.
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda – also known as Bicarbonate of Soda.
- Brown Sugar
- Pure Vanilla Extract – always buy good vanilla as it really does make a flavor difference.
- Powdered Sugar – also known as Icing Sugar or Confectioners Sugar.
- Chocolate Chips – semi-sweet (US), plain (UK)
Decorating Ingredients
- Wilton Fondant – these come in 4.4oz packages and are just the right size for these cupcakes, but you can use any brand you like.
- Black Fondant – for Minnie’s Ears
- Red Fondant – for Minnie’s Bow
- Rainbow Sprinkles – you can use any sprinkles that you like! Make a mix of your own with different single sprinkle types, or buy a ready-made mix. Whatever you use, you will want about 2 cups to decorate the cupcakes.
Cupcake Decorating Equipment
- Round Cookie Cutter – to cut out Minnie’s Ears you will need a 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 Bag – you can use disposable or reuseable, your choice.
- Large Star Tip – for example, Wilton 1M
- Small Squeeze Bottle – for the chocolate ganache
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.,).
Minnie Mouse Sundae Cupcakes Recipe Tips
Minnie’s ears and bow that decorate these cupcakes are made with fondant (also known as sugarpaste).
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/confectioner’s sugar) or cornstarch (cornflour) so that the fondant doesn’t stick. Think of it like the way you use flour when rolling dough.
- Rub a little powdered sugar/cornstarch into your hands and knead a handful of the fondant to make it more pliable before rolling, rather than using it 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 pieces. 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 them 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 you will need to judge 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
- Use your choice of cupcake liners – themed to the cupcakes (red with white polka dots would look awesome!), plain white or black, or a complimentary 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 all the way 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 hold a stiff peak. You may have to adjust the amount of powdered sugar and cream slightly to achieve the consistency you need.
- SPRINKLES! Following the color theme provided in the recipe, you can use any type you like such as nonpareils, jimmies, stars, confetti, pearls, or shapes – you’ll need about 2 cups of them in total to cover the cupcakes.
- Use a piping bag fitted with a large star tip to pipe the swirl on top of the cupcakes.
- If you feel like you are going to be making a lot of cakes and cupcakes in the 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.
More Disney Cupcake Recipes
Looking for more Disney cupcakes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Disney Haunted Mansion Cupcakes
- Star Wars Cupcakes – Princess Leia & Chewbacca!
- How To Make Awesome Disney Ears Loki Cupcakes For Marvel Fans!
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort-inspired Tropical Minnie Ears Cupcakes
- Make These Disney Jungle Cruise Cupcakes For Your Next Adventure!
- Disney • Pixar’s Coco-Inspired Sugar Skull Day of the Dead Cupcakes
How Do I Make Minnie Mouse Sundae Cupcakes?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Chocolate Minnie Mouse Sundae Cupcakes
Delight the Disneys fans in your life by creating these scrumptious and oh-so-cute Minnie Mouse Sundae Cupcakes!
Ingredients
For the Fondant Ears & Bow
- Cornstarch (cornflour), for dusting
- 1 (4-oz) package black fondant
- 1 4-oz) package red fondant
For the Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
For the Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups rainbow sprinkles, divided
For the Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream (double cream)
Instructions
- 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.
- Knead the black fondant in your hands to make it soft and pliable and roll to ¼"/0.5cm thick.
- Using a 2"/5cm round cookie cutter, cut out 24 black circles (Minnie's ears)
- Place the black circles onto the prepared cookie sheet and leave them to dry overnight.
- 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.
- 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 12 bows total.TIP! Always make extra fondant decorations as backup!
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Place 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan and set it aside.
- Sift or whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl.
- Using an electric handheld or standing mixer, beat the brown sugar, white sugar, canola oil, egg, and vanilla until combined.
- Alternating between the buttermilk and flour mixture, whisk into the sugar mixture until combined and smooth.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners about ¾ way full.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top bounces back.
- Leave to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- To make the frosting, use an electric stand or handheld mixer and add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream to the bowl.
- Beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth and stiff peaks form. This typically takes 5-7 minutes.
- Scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip.
- Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cooked and cooled cupcake.
- Sprinkle the frosted cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles.
- To make the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set them aside.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and leave to sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth.
- Pour the ganache into a squeeze bottle and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze the ganache on top of the frosted cupcakes to create drips as shown.
- Sprinkle some more rainbow sprinkles on top of the ganache.
- Place the red fondant bow in the center of the ganache and place one black Minnie ear circle on each side of the bow.
- Enjoy and Have a Magical Day!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1073Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 516mgCarbohydrates: 144gFiber: 1gSugar: 125gProtein: 4g
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.
Make It A Meal!
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: Crispy Zucchini Fries with Marinara Sauce – A Tasty Gluten-Free Appetizer
- Soup: 30-Minute Instant Pot Tomato Soup Recipe
- Salad: Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Croutons
- Main Dish: Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Recipe in 30 Minutes
- Side Dish: Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
- Beverage: Frozen Mango Margaritas (Cocktail & Mocktail Versions!)
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!