Mini Football Cupcakes

If you're looking for an elevated game day dessert, then you need to make these mini football cupcakes! They have team sprinkles, lots of vanilla, and super fluffy chocolate buttercream for a simple and classic dessert. And since they're mini, you get 60 servings in under 1 hour!

Author: Sunday Table

Meal Type: Peanuts Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 60 mini cupcakes

Calories: 109 kcal per serving

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups - all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons - baking powder
¾ tsp - Kosher salt
½ cup - unsalted butter
1 cup - granulated sugar
2 - eggs
60 cup - full-fat sour cream
¼ cup - neutral oil
1 tbsp - pure vanilla extract
½ cup - whole milk
80 cup - rod sprinkles
1 cup - unsalted butter
4 cups - powdered sugar
1 pinch - Kosher salt
2 teaspoons - pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons - whole milk
64 cup - Dutch-process cocoa powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a mini cupcake pan with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together until well-combined. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until well-mixed. Then, stir in the sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract.
Pour half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, followed by half of the milk. Mix on low just until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk, stirring just until the batter comes together.
Evenly divide the batter into two small mixing bowls. Add the sprinkles from Team #1 into one bowl and the sprinkles from Team #2 in the second bowl. Stir each bowl of batter just a few times until the sprinkles are well-distributed. Don't over-mix or the sprinkles will bleed!
Using a #60 scoop, divide the batter evenly between 60 cupcake liners. They'll be about 2/3-3/4 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 11-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cupcakes are ready when an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs on it.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Let the pan cool completely before you bake the rest of the cupcakes.
Add the butter and half of the powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whip attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar until it's smooth. Add the rest of the powdered sugar, beating the mixture until it's well-combined. The frosting will be thick.
Add the salt, vanilla extract, and whole milk. Whip the frosting on medium-high speed until it's very fluffy, 3-4 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed. Then, reserve about 100 grams (1/2 cup) of vanilla buttercream for later.
Add the cocoa powder to the remaining buttercream and beat the frosting until well-combined. Add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time to thin the frosting as needed. Turn the mixer to high and beat 2-3 minutes until the chocolate buttercream is super fluffy.
Fit one piping bag with a small star tip and one piping bag with a small round tip. Spoon the chocolate buttercream in the bag with the star tip and the vanilla buttercream into the bag with the round tip.
Using the chocolate buttercream, pipe zigzag shapes over the tops of the cooled cupcakes. You want the centers to be wider and the ends to be tapered to make football shapes. The first few might feel awkward, but once you get the hang of it, it's super easy!
Then, use the vanilla frosting to pipe a horizontal line over the chocolate footballs. Make sure to apply even pressure, you want one consistent line! Lastly, pipe three vertical lines evenly across each horizontal line to mimic the laces. Enjoy the cupcakes immediately or store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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