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Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar

Unicorn Cupcakes

Unicorn Cupcakes

Ingredients

Unicorn Horns and Ears

Cupcakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour*
  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla pean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream (8 oz)
  • 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

Rainbow Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 10 cups Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • Purple gel food coloring
  • Green gel food coloring
  • Blue gel food coloring
  • 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles for topping (optional)   

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Unicorn Horn and Ears (make in advance):

  1. Combine mini marshmallows and water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, until marshmallows are puffy.
  2. Stir marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth. (If there are some that are unmelted, return to microwave for 30 seconds.)
  3. Add powdered sugar and begin to stir with spatula. Stir until everything is mixed.  
  4. Scrape fondant out onto a flat surface that has been dusted with powdered sugar. Fondant will be sticky and lumpy, with lots of sugar that has not been incorporated yet.
  5. Dust hands with powdered sugar, and begin to knead fondant mixture. Work sugar into marshmallows with your hands.
  6. Knead fondant until all sugar is incorporated, fondant is smooth and has lost all “stickiness” (add more sugar if necessary). Roll into a ball, and it’s ready to use.
  7. To make unicorn horns, roll a small piece of fondant into a 4-or 5-inch snake, tapering one end to be smaller than the other. Carefully, starting with smaller end, wrap fondant around end of a skewer or lollipop stick to create a unicorn horn. Place on a flat surface and let dry for at least 36-48 hours.
  8. To make unicorn ears, roll a small piece of fondant into a ball. Press down into center with your thumb and pinch one end to form a soft peak for ear tip. Place on a flat surface and let dry for at least 36-48 hours. (To add a little bit of color to insides of ears, dab a bit of food coloring into center of ears with a food safe brush once they’ve dried.

Cupcakes: 

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, mix together flour, cake mix, sugar, and salt.
  2. In bowl of a mixer, mix together water, egg whites, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low for about 10 seconds.
  3. Slowly add dry mix a little at a time. Mixing on low until everything is combined.
  4. Add sour cream and mix well. Mix in rainbow sprinkles.
  5. Line a muffin/cupcake tin with paper liners. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full of batter. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Frosting:

  1. Add butter and shortening to bowl of mixer. Beat together until smooth.
  2. Mix in vanilla and powdered sugar until combined and smooth.
  3. Add milk and whip on high for 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Divide frosting into 4 bowls.
  4. Tint one bowl of icing pink, one purple, one green and one blue. Make colors as light or as dark as you want.
  5. Lay a piece of plastic wrap onto a flat surface.
  6. Spoon strips of pink, purple, green and blue frosting onto plastic wrap. Then roll frosting over onto itself, using plastic wrap to guide it.
  7. Roll it into a tube but make sure the plastic wrap is all on the outside of frosting, don’t wrap the plastic wrap into the frosting.
  8. Twist plastic wrap ends and then use a pair of scissors to snip one end. 
  9. Slide frosting pouch down into a large piping bag that’s been fitted with a large star tip.
  10. Swirl frosting onto each cupcake.

Decorate:

  1. Press 1 unicorn horn into each cupcake frosting and add two ears. Sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.
Imperial Sugar Insight

Recipe developed for Imperial Sugar by Angie Barrett @BigBearsWife.