Cup-a-do-da-doo! Candied Orange Mini Rooster Cupcakes

This was my girl's last baking project with me before her school reopens for a new academic year. As the lunar new year fast approaches, this is the year of the rooster, she caught sight of cakes and cookies that were decorated with the rooster motif and requested to make some mini cupcakes and decorate it with simple ingredients to welcome the year of the Rooster.

The cupcakes were made with a simple vanilla, Greek yogurt batter with candied orange mixed in, followed by dipping the top of the cupcakes into an orange flavored icing before being decorated with flaxseeds, sunflower seed and heart-shaped sprinkles. 

She spent her last day of school holiday decorating these cupcakes and enjoying her own creations as well as eating it. But she did comment that her creations were too cute to be eaten. I do agree with her on that.

Cup-a-do-da-doo! Candied Orange Rooster Mini Cupcakes

(makes 40 mini cupcakes or 10 regular sized muffins)

Ingredients:

145g self rising flour

70g sugar

60g butter, softened 

89g plain Greek yogurt

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp homemade vanilla essence/ any vanilla essence

45g candied orange

Orange Glaze

200g icing sugar

3 Tbsp orange juice

Decoration

Flaxseeds, for the eyes

Sunflower seeds, for the beak

Heart-shaped sprinkles, for the comb and under the beak

Steps to cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Line muffin tins with 40 cupcakes liners.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, salt and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add egg, followed by yogurt, then vanilla essence.
• With mixer turn to low speed, slowly add in flour. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. 
• Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in candied orange. Fill each cupcake liner to 2/3 full.
• Place into oven and bake for 10 min or until lightly golden brown. 
• Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them to completely cool on a cooling rack.

Steps to decorate:

• Mix the icing sugar and orange juice until a thick slurry is formed and dipped the top of the cupcakes into the mixture and allow the excess glaze to drip off before placing the cupcakes right side up. Do not leave the glazed top sitting out too long as it will dry and the seeds cannot stick to the surface to form the rooster face.
• Using a pair of tweezers, pick up flaxseeds to form the eyes, sunflower seed for the beak and the heart-shaped sprinkles for the comb and under the beak.

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