Lion Cupcakes

5 from 3 ratings

These lion cupcakes are decorated with homemade buttercream to look just like little lion cubs! They're just as cute as they are tasty!

Prep Time15

Cook Time18

Additional Time30

Total Time1 3

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Calories: 360kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature 180g
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso or coffee 3g
1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted 60g
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 32g
2 large eggs, room temperature 114g
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 73g
1 tsp white vinegar 4g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 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

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 60g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1/4 tsp fine salt 2g
3 cups powdered sugar 375g
3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 45g

Additional Tools / Equipment

Electric hand mixer
4 Small piping bags
1 Large round tip like an Ateco 805
1 Medium round tip like a Wilton 10
1 Small grass tip like a Wilton 233
1 Small round tip like a Wilton 3
Small offset spatula or a small acetate sheet
Pink sprinkles

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F / 175°F. Place cupcake liners in baking pans.
Add 3/4 cup of buttermilk and 1 1/2 tsp of coffee or espresso powder into a large bowl. Stir until dissolved.
Add 1/3 cup melted chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cocoa powder into the buttermilk mixture and whisk until smooth.
Whisk 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vinegar, and 1 tsp vanilla into the mixture and stir until combined.
Add 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt into the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a spatula. The batter will be thin, but don't worry! That's how it's supposed to be.
Divide the batter evenly between the liners, they should be about 3/4 full. Bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. If you're in a rush (or impatient like me), you can place them in the freezer for 15 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Beat 1 cup of room temperature butter and 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a
hand mixer or
stand mixer until smooth. If you have a peanut allergy, you can use another type of nut butter in its place or you can use additional butter in place of the peanut butter.
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. Halfway through add in 3 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, then scoop 1/4 of the peanut butter buttercream into a small piping bag fit with a large round piping tip (like an Ateco 805) and set aside.
Scoop 1 cup of frosting into a separate bowl and color it yellow with gel food coloring. Place the frosting in a small piping bag fit with a round piping tip (like a Wilton 10) and set aside.
Place 1/4 cup of frosting into a separate bowl. Color it black with gel food coloring and place it in a small piping bag fit with a small round opening (like a Wilton 3).
Color the remaining buttercream a burnt orange color with orange gel food coloring and a drop of brown gel food coloring. Place it in a small piping bag fit with a small grass tip (like an Wilton 233).

Decorating these Lion Cupcakes

Use the yellow buttercream to pipe a circle on top of each cupcake. Smooth it using a small offset spatula or an acetate sheet.
Then use the uncolored peanut butter frosting to pipe on the lion's cheeks like in the picture above.
Next, use the black buttercream to pipe on the lion's eyes and nose. If you don't feel comfortable piping on the face, you can also use
black fondant or black sprinkles.
Place a pink sprinkle between the lion's cheeks to look like its mouth. I had some small heart sprinkles on hand, so I used those to make the lion's little mouth. You could also use round sprinkles or color a tiny bit of the light yellow frosting pink and pipe it in the same area.
Use the orange buttercream to pipe the lion's mane around the edge of the cupcake.
Then pipe on two little ears with the yellow buttercream.
Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Feel free to get creative with each lion's facial expression to give them a little variety.
Then enjoy! These cupcakes taste best fresh, but frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature for a day in an airtight container or be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

How Many Cupcakes Does this Recipe Make?

This recipe makes 12 standard-sized cupcakes. This recipe can be doubled or halved as needed to change the yield.

If you want to make mini lion cupcakes, this recipe can be baked in mini muffin tins! It makes about 40 mini cupcakes, and they only need to bake for 9-10 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.

Tips for Making the Best Lion 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.
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.

Lion Cupcake Variations:

To make eggless, dairy-free lion cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the buttermilk and heavy cream (almond, oat, or soy), vegan butter sticks to replace the butter, and an egg replacer like this.
To make gluten-free lion cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for, and be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for the best results.

Making These Lion 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.

You can also make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 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 out at room temperature overnight or be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. However, I find frosting them right before serving is best.

Nutrition