Owl your friends and family will love these Owl Cupcakes from Samantha Chiu. Moist chocolate cupcakes are decorated with frosting, chocolate and nuts to resemble sweet little owls!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tin with liners or grease with butter and lightly dust with flour.
Melt butter and add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and salt, then add flour mixture with milk to the butter mixture.
Fill cupcake cups 1/2 full and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted into cupcakes comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting: Combine butter and sugar and beat with electric mixer until blended. Add the milk and vanilla, and beat for 5 minutes or until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. Add a small drop of black food coloring to frosting and mix until you reach a grey color. Pour frosting into piping bag with a grass piping tip and directly pipe frosting to cupcake.
For chocolate decorations: Microwave white chocolate for 30 seconds until there are no lumps. Use a toothpick to paint 1-inch circles on wax paper. Refrigerate chocolate for 20-30 minutes. Peel chocolate circles off wax paper and place directly on the cupcake. Microwave dark chocolate for 30 seconds until there are no lumps. Use toothpick to draw on the eye details.
Take either almonds or peanuts and place one directly under where the two circles meet to create a beak.