Mini Panda Cupcakes

  5.0 – 2 reviews  • Chocolate

Similar to Applebees’ chicken wonton tacos are these. I decided to try making my own at home because I really liked the ones at Applebees. They make a delicious main dish or a light and flavorful appetizer. The kids adore them! Here is a meal that uses ground chicken but is not too unbelievable. In order to save time and reduce fat, I bake the wonton wrappers. With this healthier version, I am incredibly happy. If preferred, add cilantro, red onion, or sweet onion to the tacos. Serve wedges of lime on the side.

Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 10 mins
Additional Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Servings: 36
Yield: 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

  1. 9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  2. 5 tablespoons boiling water, or as needed
  3. ¾ cup unsalted butter
  4. ¾ cup white sugar
  5. 2 tablespoons white sugar
  6. 1 cup all-purpose flour
  7. 2 teaspoons baking powder
  8. 3 eggs
  9. 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  10. ¼ cup unsalted butter
  11. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  12. 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  13. ¼ cup white sugar
  14. 180 miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  15. 2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles
  16. 1 ounce fondant, ready-to-use, white

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 24-cup mini muffin tin and one 12-cup mini muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.
  2. Sift cocoa powder into a large bowl and add 5 tablespoons boiling water. Stir into a thick paste, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Add 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until batter is smooth.
  3. Mix flour and baking powder in a bowl and stir into the batter until well combined. Spoon batter into the prepared mini muffin cups using an ice cream scoop, filling each 2/3 to the top.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool in muffin tin for a few minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  5. Combine cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in confectioners’ sugar gradually.
  6. Frost each cupcake with a layer of white frosting. Pour white sparkling sugar into a small bowl and dunk each frosted cupcake into the sugar, so the frosting is evenly covered.
  7. Place 2 chocolate chips into the middle of each cupcake for the eyes with the pointy side facing the cupcake. Place 1 chocolate chip with the pointy side pointing down for the nose, like an upside-down triangle. Make a mouth with 3 chocolate sprinkles in the shape of an anchor. Place 2 chocolate chips on top of the cupcakes for the ears.
  8. Roll fondant into tiny balls for the eyes, smaller than the mini chocolate chips, and stick 1 half piece of chocolate sprinkle into each ball for the pupils. Glue eyes onto the 2 eye chocolate chips with some frosting.
  9. If you don’t need that many mini cupcakes, just make the amount you need and bake regular- sized cupcakes with the rest of the batter. You need to adjust the baking time, probably more like 20 minutes, just keep checking with a toothpick.
  10. You can also use small sugar eyeballs instead of making the eyeballs out of fondant yourself.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 135 kcal
Carbohydrate 15 g
Cholesterol 36 mg
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Protein 2 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Sodium 53 mg
Sugars 10 g
Fat 8 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g

Reviews

Donald Lyons
super cute
Carrie Garrett
my friend made these for me for a suprise birthday party they were delicous and very cute

 

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