YES … THEY REALLY ARE CUPCAKES!!!  They are incognito … hidden inside mini ice cream cones and turned upside-down … let me show you!

This is what you will need …

• Cake mix
• Buttermilk
• Canola oil
• Eggs
• Mini ice cream cones (I found at Walmart)
• Chocolate Wafers (Nabisco/Famous)
• American Gold Disco Dust  & Yellow Candy Melts (chocolate) OR yellow candies
• Dark Chocolate
• Green Candy Melts (chocolate)
• Green Sugar (oops, not in photo)

For the first time, I tried using a cake mix recipe as suggested by Hoosier Homemade and the book “cupcakes, cookies & pie, oh, my!”.  I was very happy with the results.

The cake mix recipe:

• 1 box (18.25 ounces) cake mix
• 1 cup buttermilk (in place of the water called for on the box)
• 4 large eggs (in place of the number called for on the box)
• Canola (vegetable) oil (the amount called for on the box)
• Follow the directions on the box using the substituted ingredients

Place the mini ice cream cones in a mini muffin pan and fill about 2/3 (about 2 tablespoons) with cake batter and tap the cone to ensure that batter is in the bottom.  Bake for 15-20 minutes …

One recipe gave me 18 standard cupcakes and 18 mini ice cream cone cupcakes!

I had a little bit of a problem with overflow in the cones, but I just trimmed them up.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the buckles for the hats.  Use melted yellow chocolate to draw squares on wax paper and sprinkle with Gold Disco Dust.  You could skip this step and use yellow candies (such as M&Ms) …

You can also make the hat brims.  Use a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Trim the chocolate cookies if necessary …

Using melted green chocolate in a squeeze bottle, draw a ring around the outer edge of the cookie and sprinkle with green sugar …

 

After the chocolate hardens up, tap off the excess sugar … and save the extra sugar …

Now that the cupcakes are cooled … dip the bottom (flat part) 2/3 of the cone in green chocolate, tap off all excess chocolate …

Sprinkle with green sugar and stand aside to let the chocolate harden up …

Now dip the top (rounded) side of the cupcake in the melted dark chocolate …

Place the cone on the hat brim …

Add the buckles to the hats using a dot of melted chocolate …

Well … 6 cupcakes done and 12 to go!  Yes, they are a little lumpy and bumpy … just like the stuff they are made with

Look what I made with one of the regular cupcakes …

One year ago today this blog was born … so this is Sweet Simple Stuff’s birthday … or anniversary … oh, I don’t know what to call it.  All I know is that I have been doing this for one wonderful year.  When I started, I didn’t really know what to expect … or how to do it … or where it would take me.  I still don’t know much … but I do know that I appreciate each and every one of you … and I am having fun!  Thank you for everything

I ♥ comments …

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