This year, Toby wanted to have a Minecraft Creeper Cake for his birthday. Creeper, of course, is a pixelated character from the popular video game. Now, the notion that he wanted a basic, square shaped cake was great. But, since I only have one hand to work with this summer, I was nervous about what to do with the frosting. How was I going to make squares of multicolour frosting all over a square chocolate cake? I assumed that I was going to dip kitchen twine or floss in some icing sugar or cocoa powder to lay a “grid” over the top of my cake, and then use a small spatula or pastry bags of of icing to create my square patterns. However, as simple as this sounded on a normal day, such piping work with a broken hand wasn’t going to be easy. Then, as I was trolling the local kitchen store for ideas, I discovered the widely available Wilton Brownie Bar Pan. With this pan, I could make a set of easily iced cupcake squares or “pixels” which could be nestled together to form one creeper face. It would also be quite easy to serve and store the individual cupcakes! Below, you’ll find my basic construction ideas, followed by my recipes for the tastiest fondant-free cupcakes on the block! [Feel free to go ahead and substitute with boxed mix and frosting in a pinch!]
Easy Minecraft Creeper Cupcake Cake [100% Fondant Free]
Equipment
- Square Cupcake Pan
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 2/3 c all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c unsalted butter softened
- 1 c sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 c sour cream or plain yogurt
Icing
- 1 c unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 6 c icing [confectioners] sugar
- 1/2 c heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
Decors
- Wilton Green Icing Gel Colours OR Green Food Colouring Drops
- Wilton Black Icing Gel and 1 oz Semi-sweet Chocolate melted OR Flat Squares of Dark Chocolate OR Chocolate Cookie Crumbs OR Black Sprinkles
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Set the oven to 350.
- Spray the cupcake tin[s] with baking spray, or grease and lightly flour, or line with cupcake papers.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and soda into a medium bowl.
- Add salt, and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the butter for a moment.
- Add the sugars and cream on medium until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the eggs and then the melted chocolate until nicely blended.
- Add one-third of the dry ingredients and then 1/4 c of buttermilk and the vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add another third of the flour mixture and another 1/4 c buttermilk and beat until incorporated.
- Add the final third of the flour mixture and the final 1/4 c buttermilk and mix on low until combined.
- Incorporate the sour cream or yogurt.
- Fill cupcake tins only about one-third full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pan[s] for 10 minutes.
- Remove to wire rack and cool completely.
- [Clean, re-coat or line tin, re-fill, and repeat as necessary.]
Icing
- Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for a moment.
- Add 4 cups of the sugar. 1/4 c cream, vanilla, and salt.
- On medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- As desired, gradually add the remaining 2 c sugar, 1/2 c at a time, alternating with the 1/4 cream, by the tablespoon, until the icing is of the quantity and the spreadable consistency you desire.
Construction
- Separate Frosting into 5 equal bowls [four if you are using chocolates or sprinkles for the black sections of the Creeper Cake].
- Using Gel or Food Colour, create 4 shades of green from light to dark. I used just the tiniest pinprick of Wilton Moss Green and Leaf Green gels to create my "Lightest Green" icing colour. I used .25-.5 tsp of Wilton Moss, Kelly, and Leaf Green Gels to create the other three shades.
- To create the Black Frosting, mix 1 oz melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate with the fifth portion of buttercream frosting and then added .5 tsp Wilton black gel icing colour.
- Arrange cupcakes in a 5x5 square.
- Following the template below, ice the cupcakes.
- If you are using chocolates, cookie crumbs, or sprinkles to create the black portions, frost with one of the greens and use your topping over top.
Notes
Here are the cake and icing recipes on their own…
The Best Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 c all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c unsalted butter softened
- 1 c sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 c sour cream or plain yogurt
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350.
- Spray the cupcake tin[s] with baking spray, or grease and lightly flour, or line with cupcake papers.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and soda into a medium bowl.
- Add salt, and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the butter for a moment.
- Add the sugars and cream on medium until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the eggs and then the melted chocolate until nicely blended.
- Add one-third of the dry ingredients and then 1/4 c of buttermilk and the vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add another third of the flour mixture and another 1/4 c buttermilk and beat until incorporated.
- Add the final third of the flour mixture and the final 1/4 c buttermilk and mix on low until combined.
- Incorporate the sour cream or yogurt.
- Fill cupcake tins only about one-third full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pan[s] for 10 minutes.
- Remove to wire rack and cool completely.
- [Clean, re-coat or line tin, re-fill, and repeat as necessary.]
The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 c unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 6 c icing [confectioners] sugar
- 1/2 c heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt or, to taste
Instructions
- Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for a moment.
- Add 4 cups of the sugar. 1/4 c cream, vanilla, and salt.
- On medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- As desired, gradually add the remaining 2 c sugar, 1/2 c at a time, alternating with the 1/4 cream, by the tablespoon, until the icing is of the quantity and the spreadable consistency you desire.
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