Go Back Email Link
image of an adorable buttercream frog cupcake
Print Recipe
5 from 1 rating

Frog Cupcakes

Want to make some adorable frog cupcakes? These moist chocolate cupcakes are decorated with buttercream and are just as cute as they are delicious.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 3 minutes
Course: Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 319kcal
Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 3/4 cup hot water 180g
  • 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso or coffee 3g
  • 1/3 cup milk or dark chocolate chips, melted 60g
  • 1/3 cup black cocoa powder 30g
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature 114g
  • 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 75g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
  • 1 tsp white vinegar 4g
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 98g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda 3g
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt 2g

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt 2g
  • 3 cups powdered sugar 375g
  • 1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 15g
  • Green gel food coloring

Additional Tools / Equipment

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 175 C. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
  • Pour 3/4 cup of hot water into a large bowl. Mix in 1 1/2 tsp of coffee or espresso powder, and stir lightly until dissolved.
  • Add 1/3 cup melted chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of black cocoa powder. Whisk together until the ingredients are fully combined.
  • Whisk 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp vinegar into the cocoa mixture.
  • Sift the dry ingredients (3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt) into chocolate espresso mixture, and whisk until just combined. The batter will be thin, but that’s how it’s supposed to be.
  • Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  • Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. Or if you're in a rush, place in the freezer for 15 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.

Green Vanilla Buttercream

  • Beat 1 cup of room temperature butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth.
  • Add in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix on a medium-low speed until combined.
  • Slowly mix in 3 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Half way through add in 1 Tbsp of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
  • Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
  • Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth.
  • Color the buttercream a light green shade with gel food coloring, and scoop 1/2 cup of frosting into a small piping bag fit with a round piping tip (like an Ateco 806) and set aside.
  • Add more green gel food coloring to the remaining frosting to make it a deeper shade of green. Place 1/3 of the remaining frosting in a small piping bag fit with a small round piping tip (like a Wilton 5). Place the remaining frosting in a bag fit with a larger round piping tip like an Ateco 806.

Decorating these Frog Cupcakes

  • Pipe the darker green frosting on top of each cupcake using the piping bag with the larger round tip. Smooth using a small offset spatula or acetate sheet.
  • Use the lighter green buttercream to pipe a small green circle at the bottom of the cupcake to look like the frog's tummy. Smooth using a small offset spatula or acetate sheet.
  • Use the darker green frosting with the smaller piping tip to add on the frog's arms and legs. Pipe two arms over the tummy, and add the hind legs to sides of the cupcake. Pipe 3 small dots under each arm and leg to look like the frog's toes.
  • Use the black fondant to cut out 1 cm circles to make the frogs eyes, small v shaped lines to make the mouth, and tiny circles for the frog's nostrils. I like to use small circle cutters, but you can also roll out small balls by hand and flatten them.
  • Roll out small, 1/2 cm balls with the pink fondant to make the frog's cheeks.
  • If desired, roll out tiny balls with the white fondant and press them on top of the black circles to give the frog's eyes a little bit more dimension.
  • Add the fondant facial features onto each cupcake and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Making Mini Frog Cupcakes

If you want to make mini frog cupcakes, this recipe can be baked in mini muffin tins! It makes about 36 mini cupcakes, and they only need to bake for 9-10 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.

Tips for Making the Best Frog Cupcakes

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Be sure you set out any 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 large cookie scoop to easily fill your cupcake liners. It also makes sure your cupcakes end up being the same height.
  • 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.
  • Use gel food coloring to color your green buttercream! It allows you to get a vibrant color without throwing off the consistency of the frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 231mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g