Teddy Bears at the Beach Cupcakes !!!

Teddy Bears at the Beach Cupcakes


My latest project was inspired by:
http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/06/bikini-beach-bears.html
I've been a fan of her work for quite some time now, and well, I finally had time to make one. She has the cutest ideas for everyday ingredients. I just wish I was that creative. Oh well, here's my attempt at... "Bikini Beach Bears !" What better way then to write a story about these cuties...

Just another day at the beach....

Once upon a time there were these golden bears, or I'd like to think of as, baby Bruins :-). They were a young bunch, all packed in a nice foiled bag and shelved at the local Pavilions. They were known for their sweetness, cuteness and well, they were all waiting for someone to give them some clothes.

Uh OH! Looks like we have a few handicapped bears. Fear not, these bears will be quite useful when I make... the sand. *gasp* It's been an unusually hot summer here in Los Angeles. The temperature definitely hit the 100 marks all over the Southland the past few days, and what are these bears to do in a times like these?

It's beach time! YAY! So all of these bears put on their best-est blue-est bikinis and headed to the beach! : D

And some bears decided to sunbathe on the sand... I never understood why people don't go into the water on such a hot day, but hey, they love the cancerous rays right? I hope these bears remember to put on some protection... hehehe

So in the water, some bears started to flirt with one another. This looks like the start of a really beautiful relationship. *wink wink*

Look how crowded the beach is! The bears must be having a TON of fun!

Some bears got more sun than others. Looks like a few of them fell asleep on their raft!

So cute, I could just eat them all up! Oh wait.... Whooops. : P

Aw, looks like the bear on the pink raft is about to fall off the edge of the sea. Quick, save her!

And finally...this bear has been basking in the sun for a bit too long, oh well, looks like he'll get that elusive crispy golden tan. Yummy : )

Now, for the recipe. I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe with half the suggested amount of sugar just to compensate for the sugary frosting. : ) I LOVE this cake, is it better than Sprinkles? Hm, I think I should take a vote on this...hehe jk, I kid, but someone told that to me today and ... that made my day a little more special : ). This is also the recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box, made in just one bowl. Here is my altered recipe.

(The key to this project was organization...It made it easier because I didn't have to search for certain types of bears when I needed one!)

The Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp Flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup sugar ( the cake will not be sweet... the flavors will mellow and the cake will taste like a dark chocolate cake the next day)
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees, line cupcake pan with paper or foil liners. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, add in all of the wet ingredients except for the boiling water.
2. Beat on medium for 2 minutes ( be sure to time it! )
3. Add boiling water, stir until combined, batter will be really really liquidy
4. Fill cupcake cups with about 1/4 cup of batter each. Bake for 21 minutes. Cool before frosting.



Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar ( SIFTED!)
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring ( preferably the paste kind)

1. Cream butter, until fluffy.
2. Slowly add in sifted sugar, and milk, alternating between the two.
3. Add vanilla extract, and beat for 5 minutes.
4. Add more sugar if needed, the consistency for this type of cupcake is pretty thin and fluffy.
5. Add food coloring ( 2 drops of the paste ) to achieve desired color.

Notes about this cupcake theme:
I used lifesavers as the inner tubes, for the sand, I crushed up the teddy grahams and dipped half the cupcakes in them before placing th bears on it. For the beach towels, I used starbursts, I microwaved them for 3-5 seconds so that they become nice and pliable, then rolled them out and cut with a sharp knife. The bikinis were made with blue candy melts. I'm sure royal icing would work well with this too. I placed the blue candy melts in a ziploc bag and microwaved it for 30 seconds. I then cut a really small hole in the corner of the bag and then decorated away! I let these bears dry overnight, however, one thing to note is that they do get soft the next day, and placing them into their lifesavers = breakage. Another thing I did not place on it was the drinks umbrella. I didn't have any, and didn't want to buy them, it would have looked a lot cuter though! :-( Have fun with this theme, remember it's all about creativity and making it your own! I will continue to search for more projects for the upcoming holidays, thanks to the arrival of the cutest book ever... aka Hello, Cupcake . : ) Happy Summer. Stay Cool, and Eat Lots!!! : D