Lately, my two year old twins have been so into butterflies. We have a few books featuring butterflies and they just love pointing them out to me. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen any butterflies in person yet although I’ve been wanting to bring them to the Butterfly House in St. Louis. Until then, we can make these Butterfly Cupcakes at home!
INGREDIENTS FOR BUTTER CUPCAKES
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of butter (one stick), softened
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 whole eggs
DIRECTIONS FOR BUTTER CUPCAKES
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Grease and flour cupcake pans or insert cupcake liners. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Add the butter milk and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.
5. With an electric mixer, beat for two minutes.
6. Add the eggs and beat for an additional two minutes.
7. For the prepared batter into the cupcake pans, filling 2/3 of the way.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
10. Remove cupcakes from pans and place on metal rack for an additional 30 minutes or until completely cooled.
11. Frost with green “grass” icing (see recipe below).
INGREDIENTS FOR GREEN “GRASS” ICING
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 T vanilla extract
2 T cold milk
Green food gel
Mike and Ike candies (any colors you desire)
Twizzler pull ‘n peel licorice (I used the purple strand in the fruit punch bag)
White-chocolate covered pretzels (I used the Flipz brand)
Multi-Colored candies like M&M’s or Skittles
DIRECTIONS FOR GREEN “GRASS” ICING
1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter.
2. With a mixer on low, add half of the sugar until well blended.
3. Add the rest of the sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth.
4. Add food green gel until you reach your desired color of dark green grass.
5. NOTE: to thin icing, add 1 Tablespoon of milk. If you desire a more thick icing, add 1 Tablespoon of powdered sugar.
HOW TO MAKE ‘GRASS’ ICING ON CUPCAKES
1. Fill 3/4 decorating bag with green icing and attach a Wilton #233 tip.
2. Hold the decorating bag straight up and squeeze to create a glass blade.
3. Immediately after squeezing pull up and away when the icing strand is about 1/2 inch. Stop squeezing and pull tip away.
4. Be sure to keep the strands together so none of the cupcake shows through.
5. NOTE: for a more natural grass look, you can pull the tip slightly to the left or right.
6. Visit Wilton’s website HERE for a video tutorial, if needed.
7. Lay 2 pieces of Mike and Ike candies down the middle of each cupcake.
8. Cut off 2 (1/4 inch) pieces of Twizzlers pull ‘n peel licorice and insert at the top to resemble butterlfly antennas.
9. Lay 2 white chocolate covered pretzels on each side of the Mike and Ike candies to resemble butterfly wings.
10.Place multi-colored candies in the holes of the each pretzel. You can use M&M’s or Skittles. (I used Skittles).
11.ENJOY!
Elena says
looks so pretty!
Julie Wood says
I love your butterfly cupcakes and want to make these for my nephews birthday party next month. These are so cute and really have a lot of wonderful colors! I bet they taste good!
rochelle haynes says
This looks good like to try this
DJ says
These are super cute and creative!
Rebecca Kellerman says
This is so cute and looks so yummy! Love the different ingredients.
G K says
These are adorable! I never thought to use pretzels for wings. Great idea! I actually never thought to use pretzels for anything but dipping in mustard.
Rosie says
What a cute idea! right down to the grass! I’ve not been to a butterfly house it sounds like fun!
shelly peterson says
We love making cupcakes! These are adorable, the kids would love them!
Dana Rodriguez says
Those are so cute! Would be great for a birthday party!
Janet W. says
These are the cutest! They look pretty easy to make, too!
Maria C says
this is such a fun idea, kids will love this for sure. thanks for sharing
Birdiebee says
These are just so cute. Love the jelly beans and covered pretzel “butterfly” topper.
ellen beck says
Very cute and they look soo very easy to make.. I love dipped pretzels. Looks great.
sheila ressel says
These are adorable. They would be so cute for a garden party. Love them!
Dandi D says
These are really cute and something my son would enjoy making with me.
Elisabeth says
These looks so tasty… and pretty! 🙂
Jeanne Rousseau says
Love butterflies and love these! Would be a great hit for the kid’s party.
Brenda Haines says
I always mess up when I decorate cakes and cupcakes, but I bet I could do this! I’m excited to try it out, thanks!
Christian H says
These look like so much fun! Can’t wait to try making them with my daughter.
Nat says
FABULOUS PICTURES! What a fun project!
DENISE SMITH says
these look so pretty and so yummy
katie says
These cupcakes are so cute I would have a hard time eating them!
hannah says
These are so adorable! I love the green frosting. I haven’t seen such a lovely shade of green frosting in a long time, my niece would adore these.