Easy Unicorn Cupcakes

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Embrace your child’s birthday party request, and bake them easy unicorn cupcakes. If you can bake cupcakes, you can make this adorable treat your child will love.

Just so you know, Unicorns are still a thing. How could they not be? The enchanting unicorn appears to only a rare few and has the ability to bestow magic, miracles and wisdom to those who are pure of heart and virtuous in their deeds. Sounds to me like we could use a LOT more unicorns in our midst. Let’s start by baking easy unicorn cupcakes.

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How did this cupcake come to be? Well, for one thing, I love unicorns and their symbolism of innocence, chastity and the divine is something I think we could use a lot more of in our current world situation.

But I always stopped short of making my own version of a unicorn cupcake because making the horn and ears from fondant was kind of sticking point for me. Can you relate? There are some shops online that sell ready made horns, and I had looked at those. However, my favorites shipped from Australia, and that seemed like a little bit much for a cupcake. So I went without.

And then it happened! Browsing the cake aisle in the craft store I spotted these darling ready made Unicorn Horn and Ears cupcake party favors. I had to have them!

In today’s cupcake, I used all Wilton decorations. I truly love Wilton products and use many of their items in my baking and decorating. Here’s what I used to decorate today’s bake.

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Sprinkles are very important for easy Unicorn Cupcakes.

• Rainbow Jimmies: I love the Wilton Rainbow Jimmies the best, because the colors are really pretty, and best of all, they don’t run in either the batter or on the frosting. So many colored sprinkles will have their colors run everywhere.
• Gold Pearlized Sugar: my absolute favorite sanding sugar sprinkle. I’m thrilled I can buy it in a big bottle now, because it’s gorgeous on anything. I paired it with the horn favor because I like the gold in the sprinkle with the gold in the decoration.
• Unicorn Icing Decorations: Truly the star of this show. Each unicorn horn piece is all in one. All you need to do is pipe your cupcake, sprinkle the sanding sugar, and place the decoration. DONE!! So easy.

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Ingredients for the Easy Unicorn Cupcakes Recipe:

• Cake Flour: Unicorns are ethereal beings, so cake flour is used to keep these light and delicate.
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt: balances the sweet. Always add that pinch of salt.
• Unsalted Butter: make sure your butter is softened to room temperature which is actually about 68 degrees. Yes you can take your butter’s temperature.
• Superfine Sugar: Superfine sugar creams beautifully into the butter and is far more delicate than a regular granulated sugar.
• Clear Vanilla Extract: gives a wonderful cake mix flavor to this cake. Reminiscent of birthday cake.
• Eggs
• Sour Cream:
• Buttermilk: Always use buttermilk for your milk in baking. It’s another way to lighten the bake.
• Sprinkles: you need sprinkles in your bake!

Ingredients for the White Frosting:

• Butter: butter is always the foundation for a buttercream frosting.
• Shortening: shortening gives the frosting a pillowy softeness and enhances the white color
• Cream cheese: Add a wonderful tanginess.
• Glucose: Gives the frosting an incredible glossiness. You can omit it, but it gives a texture you cannot otherwise whip into the frosting.
• Corn syrup: Keeps the frosting extra soft.
• Clear vanilla extract: has that wonderful cake mix flavor and will not discolor the beautiful whiteness of the frosting.
• Powdered sugar: always used in frosting. Sift first.
• Salt: balances the sweet.
• Lemon extract: optional but gives a surprise tang.

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A key to getting these cupcakes just right is to not over bake them. They should be quite light in color. You should use the spring back method to check for doneness. And using a wooden skewer will confirm they are done, but I love the spring back method. It ensures you don’t over bake your cakes.

Notice how pretty the sprinkles look in the unfrosted cakes. They remain vibrant and don’t run. That’s why I recommend the Wilton Jimmies so highly.

Also note the cute polka dot cupcake liner. I thought that was darling with the vanilla funfetti cake and the unicorn horn party favor.

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How to mix easy unicorn cupcakes:

• Whisk and sieve the dry ingredients together: cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Whisking makes sure everything is evenly combined and sifting lightens the dry ingredients even more.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment: You can use a hand mixer, but nothing is better than a stand mixer. Beat the butter on medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
• Rain in the sugar: beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula at least 2 or 3 times in the mixing process here. Adding the sugar gradually ensures a smooth creaming and scraping down the bowl ensures everything is mixing as it’s supposed to.
• Add the vanilla: I was taught to add the flavoring during creaming because fat carries flavor, and creaming with the extract added ensures the flavor gets well combined with the fat. The butter in this case.
• Add the eggs one at a time: Allow each to fully incorporate before adding the next one. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Remember to scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl during this part of mixing. Don’t add your eggs to the creamed mixture all at once, because you can break the batter. Add eggs one at a time and mix each on thoroughly.
• Mix in the sour cream: mix on medium low until no streaks remain.
• Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and then half the buttermilk. When that is incorporated, repeat the first step. At the end of mixing, alternate your dry ingredients with the buttermilk always beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. I stop the mixer to spoon in my dry, run the mixer on low and pour in the milk in two additions.
• Add the the final addition of the dry ingredients: Do not over-mix. Remember to scrape down the sides and the paddle attachment while adding this last part of the recipe. There should be no lumps or unmixed batter, but if there is, whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
• Batter will be slightly thick.
• Stir in the sprinkles: fold sprinkles gently so as not to break them and minimize running of color.
• Pour/spoon the batter into the liners: Fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• The spring back method is a good tool to use with this recipe as the appearance of the cupcakes can be deceptive. Don’t over bake!
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
• Frost cooled cupcakes with my simple American buttercream frosting, or use the frosting in today’s recipe which is the Milkbar frosting used in the famous Birthday Cake.
• To get the swirled frosting: Use a reusable piping bag and a Wilton 1M nozzle. Start wide and work in.
• Leftover cupcakes: keep well covered and consume within 5 days.

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That’s all there is to making this special treat. If you are really pressed for time, or severely baking challenged, you could simply buy cupcakes from the grocery store and apply the unicorn party favor. Or use a cake mix and canned frosting. But I do hope you will try out this incredibly delicious cupcake and frosting.

You might also like:

• Bake 6″ layer cakes using cake mix
• How to properly prep your cake pans
• My original Cake Mix Hack Recipe
• How to make American Buttercream Frosting

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