Grinch Christmas Cupcake Toppers

I made these Grinch Christmas Cupcake Toppers simply because I love the Grinch!

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is my very favorite Christmas movie.

Seriously, Dr. Seuss was a creative genius.

 

"You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,

Your heart's an empty hole,

Your brain is full of spiders, you've got garlic in your soul,

Mr. Gri-inch...I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!"

My favorite part, of course, is when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes.

The despicable bad guy becomes a good guy!

I just love a happy ending.

You can make these edible cupcake toppers with candy melts or chocolate.

 To download my Grinch template below, click on the image to open it.

Then right click on the image and select "Save Image As".
Print the template and tape it to the back of a cookie sheet.
Tape a piece of wax paper on top of the template.

 What You Will Need: 
Frosted cupcakes 
Black candy melts or chocolate chips
Green, red, white and yellow candy melts
Piping bags fitted with small round tip (Wilton #2)

First, fill a piping bag with melted chocolate chips or black candy melts.
Pipe the Grinch outline on the wax paper.

Next, use red candy melts to fill in the santa hat and pupils.

Continue to fill in the green, white and yellow parts.

I found "Vibrant Green" candy melts...a perfect Grinchy color!

If you can't find this color, just mix green and yellow to get the right shade. 
 

Helpful Hint: Use a toothpick to push the candy melts into the corners
and clean up the edges.

Don't worry if they look messy when you are done...this is the back side!

When the toppers have hardened, carefully peel them off the wax paper and turn them over.

 Place each Grinch topper on a frosted cupcake and enjoy!

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before...

Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

Merry Chrismas!

 

 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another Christmas cupcake idea...

Strawberry Santa Hat Cupcakes 

Give the Gift of Gingerbread - Blog Hop & Giveaway!

Today I am part of a fun blog hop and giveaway!
You can see 20 gingerbread themed recipes and all the fabulous prizes below.

 My recipe is this Chocolate Gingerbread Cake. 

I decided to put a tasty twist on classic gingerbread by mixing it with chocolate.

The two flavors together are a fantastic combination!

Top it with cream cheese frosting and decorate it with chocolate gingerbread men,
and you have one fantastic Christmas cake!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

by Bird On A Cake

6038745

Ingredients

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. package cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with wax paper; grease the sides of the pans. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. Mix in the oil and molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. In another bowl, mix the boiling water with the cocoa powder. Alternate adding the dry mixture and wet mixture to the batter until well combined. Pour your batter in the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Spread over cooled cake.

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  To make the gingerbread men, I used a silicon mold and melted chocolate.
First, I filled in the eyes, mouth and buttons with white chocolate.

 Then, I filled in the whole cavity with chocolate.

 After these little guys set up, gently push on the other side of the mold until they pop out.
Then press them into the frosting around your cake.
 

 Give the Gift of Gingerbread
Blog Hop and Giveaway

Use the links below to hop from blog to blog
to see these wonderful gingerbread themed recipes:

1. No Gingerbread Boy and Girl Cookie Pops by Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons

2. Caramel Cocoa Egg Nog Custard Gingerbread Men by Hungry Happenings

3. Gingerbread Angel Ornament by Haniela's

4. Gingerbread Men Bubble Bath by Creative Kids Snacks

5. Peeps Gingerbread Men Cookie Pops by Pint Sized Baker

6. Gingerbread Decorating Ideas by Living Locurto

7. Peanuts Gang Gingerbread Men by Sugar Swings

8. Gingerbread House Cookie Bites by The Decorated Cookie

9. Gingerbread Cookie Christmas Trees by Munchkin' Munchies

10. Gingerbread Men Cookies by The Barefoot Baker

11. Gingerbread Sleigh Ride by the Partiologist

12. Mini Fudge Gingerbread Houses by Hoopla Palooza

13. Chocolate Gingerbread Cake by Bird on a Cake

14. Simple Gingerbread Christmas Trees by Sweet Sugar Belle

15. Gingerbread Cookie Cups by Creative Juice

16. Gingerbread Puppy Chow by Make Bake Celebrate

17. No Bake Gingerbread Heads by Party Pinching

18. Snowboarding Gingerbread Peeps by Sweet Simple Stuff

19. Gingerbread S'More Houses with Boozy Eggnog Marshmallow Filling by 1 Fine Cookie

20.Sugar Plum Gingerbread House by Miss CandiQUIK

Thanks to our amazing sponsors, you have a chance to win all of these prizes:

Shabby Apple - Choice of a Dress (from a list) $100 value

Wilton - Gingerbread Decorating Prize Pack $50 value

Cheap Cookie Cutters - $50 Gift Card

Sweet Works - Candy Prize Pack $25 value

Easy Lunchboxes - lunch box set $25 value

Karen's Cookies - $20 gift card

Sweet Simple Stuff - Cake Pop Prize Pack $20 value

CandiQUIK - CandiQUIK Prize Pack $25 value

The Give the Gift of Gingerbread Giveaway will run from December 11 through December 17, 2013. Entrants must be US residents, 18 years or older Void where prohibited by law. 

Enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below. 

One winner will be chosen to win the entire prize pack and will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing information. If the winner does not respond in 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

 
It's beginning to taste a lot like Christmas...

the combination of chocolate and peppermint always makes me think of the holidays.

This recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes will put you in a festive mood!

It combines chocolate peppermint cake, peppermint buttercream frosting,
chocolate ganache and crushed peppermint candies.

They would be great for neighbor gifts and Christmas parties!

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

by Bird On A Cake

6061163

Ingredients

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 tablespoon vinegar mixed with 1 cup milk)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• approx. 1/4 cup milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Bring some water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and peppermint. Beat with electric mixer until well combined.

Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until it is mixed in. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes with mixer. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with electric mixer for 1 minute. Alternate adding confectioners' sugar and milk; mixing on low speed. Mix in peppermint extract. Keep covered.

Chocolate Ganache

Heat cream in microwave for one minute. Add chocolate chips to the cream. Let stand for 1 or 2 minutes, then slowly stir the mixture. Continue to stir until all the chips have completely melted. Stir in the vanilla.

Drizzle ganache over frosted cupcakes and sprinkle with crushed peppermints.

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 Enjoy!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another delicious chocolate & mint recipe...
Andes Mint Chocolate Cake

Pecan Pie Cake

Thanksgiving dinner always includes an array of delicious desserts.
Do you have trouble choosing between a slice of cake or a piece of pie?

This recipe will solve that dilemma for you...

Pecan Pie Cake!

This just may be the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

This delicious recipe has the best of both cake and pie worlds...

moist pecan cake, caramel filling, toasted pecans and pie crust leaves.

The top and sides of each cake layer are studded with toasted pecans.

The layers are brushed with dark corn syrup to give it a yummy pecan pie taste.

Pecan pie filling is then spread between the layers

and the cake is garnished with pretty pie crust leaves.

I think I hear angels singing! 

Pecan Pie Cake

Adapted from Southern Living

6056733

Ingredients

Pecan Pie Filling

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pecan Pie Cake

• 3 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 c. milk mixed with 1 T. vinegar)
• 1 cup dark corn syrup

Pie Crust Leaves

• 1 pre-made pie crust
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Pecan Pie Filling

In a 3 quart saucepan, whisk together first 6 ingredients until smooth. Whisk constantly while bringing mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture to prevent a film from forming and chill for 4 hours.

To chill quickly: Pour filling into a bowl and place the bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice. Whisk constantly until cooled (about 15 minutes).

Pecan Pie Cake

Toast the chopped pecans: Spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Generously butter three 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. Divide 2 cups pecans evenly into buttered pans; shake to coat bottoms and sides of pans.

In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.

Whisk together flour and baking soda. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in remaining 1 cup pecans.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in remaining egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert layers onto wire racks with wax paper underneath. Brush the tops and sides of each layer with corn syrup, allow to cool completely.

Pie Crust Leaves

Roll out and smooth pie crust. Use a leaf shaped cookie cutter to cut out leaves and mark leaf veins with the tip of a knife. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush on pastry leaves.

To shape leaves: Crumple small aluminum foil pieces into 1/2-inch balls. Coat with vegetable cooking spray, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drape a pastry leaf over each ball.

Bake at 425° for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Gently remove foil from leaves.

Assembling Cake: Place one cake layer, pecan side up, on your cake stand; spread half of Pecan Pie Filling on top. Place second cake layer, pecan side up, on top of filling; spread with remaining filling. Top with remaining cake layer, pecan side up. Arrange pie crust leaves on and around the cake, if desired.

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Happy Thanksgiving!
You wonderful readers are among the many blessings I have to be thankful for.

I hope your holiday is filled with family, food and fun!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake

Let me tell you about this Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake.

It is delicious!

It tastes just like pistachio pudding.

The recipe is easy!

It starts with a cake mix.

It is a crowd pleaser!

I have one very picky eater, who bravely took a bite of cake...

then proclaimed, "I love it!"

 The pistachio pudding in the cake and the cream cheese frosting
gives it a light green color and fabulous flavor.

Bake it in a bundt pan and top it with chopped pistachios,
and you have a perfect party cake!

Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake

by Bird On A Cake

6053726

Ingredients

Pistachio Pudding Cake

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 box (3.4 oz) pistachio instant pudding
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 box (3.4 oz) pistachio instant pudding
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios (optional)

Instructions

Pistachio Pudding Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, then on medium speed 2 more minutes.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

Let cream cheese and butter sit in a large mixing bowl until softened. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and pistachio pudding mix. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Mix in the milk. Spread frosting over cooled cake and garnish with pistachios.

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Enjoy!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another yummy pudding cake recipe:
Butterscotch Bundt Cake