I usually make a mini cake of each cake in my animal cake series, but this week I’m mixing things up and making cupcakes! These sloth cupcakes are inspired by my sloth cake.

They’re made with my chocolate cupcake recipe, which is one of my favorites!

These sloth cupcakes are decorated with peanut butter and chocolate buttercream, so they’re just as delicious as they are cute.

How to Make these Adorable Sloth Cupcakes

Let’s walk through each step that goes into decorating these sloth cupcakes!

Step 1: Pipe on the Face

Use a round piping tip to pipe a circle of peanut butter frosting in the center of each cupcake. Smooth any lines with a small offset spatula or butter knife.

Step 2: Add the Sloth’s Facial Features

Use the dark chocolate buttercream to pipe on the sloth’s eye patches.

Press small round black sprinkles onto the cupcake to look like the sloth’s eyes and nose. Add a long, thin sprinkle to make the sloth’s mouth.

If you don’t have black sprinkles like this, I suggest rolling out small balls with black fondant to create the sloth’s face.

Step 3: Add the Sloth’s Fur

Switch to a small grass piping tip and pipe chocolate peanut butter buttercream fur around the face.

Pipe an extra bit of buttercream fur at the top of the cupcake to give your sloth a little tuft of hair.

Substitutions and Swaps in these Sloth Cupcakes

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand! Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

• Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free
• Instant Espresso or Coffee – You can omit the instant espresso if you dislike the taste of coffee, but it really just enhances the chocolate flavor in this these cupcakes.
• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or sunflower oil would work great!
• Vinegar – This recipe needs a bit of vinegar because it uses baking soda as a leavening agent. The vinegar activates the baking soda and helps the cupcakes rise. You can use white or apple cider vinegar.
• Unsalted Butter – You can use salted butter in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe if needed. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work in this frosting if that’s what you have on hand.
• Creamy Peanut Butter – Smooth and creamy peanut butters like JIF or Skippy work best in this frosting! Natural frostings have a tendency to separate, and this can cause the frosting to break. If you have a nut allergy, just use additional butter in place of the peanut butter in this recipe.

Tips for Making the Best Sloth Cupcakes:

• Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Mix your cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
• Use a cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
• Bang your cupcake pan on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
• Seal off the top of each of your piping bags with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from seeping out the top of the bag and make the piping bags easier to use.
• This recipe makes an American buttercream frosting, so it will crust as it sits out and is exposed to air! Be sure to either cover the frosting with plastic wrap if it’s made in advance, or immediately place it into your piping bags.

Making these Sloth Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips:

Make your cupcakes in advance! If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temp, up to a week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or the freezer for 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature overnight or in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. However, I find frosting them right before serving is best.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make these sloth cupcakes, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media!

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