Best Double Devious Mugatu Cherry Mini Cupcakes!

Are you looking for the most extravagant, surprise cupcakes, ever? Is it your birthday and you prefer pie over cake, or are you making a cake for a pie lover? These Chocolate Cherry Mini Cupcakes are the answer to keeping up the cake tradition while recognizing the pie desires.

My partner lives for pastry. I would say he is made of pastry, if you really are what you eat. Fortunately, he's as dedicated to the filling as he is to the pastry, itself.

Every year at his birthday I am either buying and making pies by the armload, or making a fruit-filled cake. This year, I decided that mini chocolate and white cupcakes filled with cherries and topped with whipped icing would be the answer. When he saw how I had decorated this mini cupcake he nicknamed it "Mugatu," after the evil character played by Will Ferrell in Zoolander (a kooky movie that now has a sequel - how is that possible?).

I never thought a mini cupcake would be associated with Mugatu, but the world never ceases to surprise me. :)

Historically, mini cupcakes make a great classroom treat for your child's classmates. This year, my surprise for my husband was to send him to work with a big box of Mugatu cupcakes to announce his birthday (he is much older than me - hee hee). At 51 years old, announcing his birthday is a unique experience.

Imagine the delight of your target as they chomp down into a decadent, chocolate-cherry-white cupcake that is teeming with a smooth and sweet icing. Yes, I know - you're saliva is building. It's the power of Mugatu. heh.

Watch for my next recipe - cherry pie cake. It's coming to a hub page near you....

All Photos and Writing are copyright by me - Teapixie! :)

I am a dedicated fan of high tea. I realize this term has many meanings, depending on where you are from, but in our house it means a feast of tiny sweet and savoury treats accompanied by spectacular tea and miniature scones with my special version of clotted cream (yuck, what a name!) and homemade jam.

If you want to create a memorable party for anyone - child or adult - put on the high tea. I won't lie - it is an enormous amount of work. The work is worth it.

I have created children's parties with fine china and cake towers decorated the table while filled with cookies, cakes, sandwiches, and amazing stuffed muffins. Those children have popped back into my life when they became adults, reminiscing about the beautiful party they attended as a kid.

Truly, the work is worth it!

My joy is to share the recipes and menus. This is the first of many high tea recipes that I want to share with YOU.

2 Miniature Cupcake Pans (24 cupcakes each)

Hand Mixer and Large Bowl or Stand Mixer

Spatula

2 Cookie Scoops in Small and Medium Sizes (see instructions below for exact sizing)

3 Piping bags and 3 Piping Tips Including: Medium Star Tip, Leaf Tip, and Drop Flower Tip

Tall Plastic Container With Lid for Storing in Fridge

Cake Trays for Display.

I love stand mixers. I know that sounds "baking snooty" but it's the truth. Below are stand mixers that I can stand to have in my house and that get the Teapixie Stamp of Approval!

I love to eat icing. I won't lie - cake is just a carrier of a creamy and sweet icing. But I won't eat just any icing. I need the ingredients to produce a full and creamy icing with a slight sweet taste. That said, this is a special recipe because the cherry is a surprise inside the cake!

First I will give you the recipe for the white cake batter. Then I will explain how to create the chocolate cake batter. After that I will discuss filling the cupcakes and provide a recipe for icing.

These three scoops get the Teapixie Stamp of Approval! You will need two scoops to make this recipe.

I have baked more mini cupcakes and muffins than any one family could eat in their lifetime. I know mini cupcake pans. These three get the Teapixie Stamp of Approval!

As much I would like to make artistic recommendations for mini cupcake liners, that would be wrong. I can't put a stamp of approval on what you select, but I encourage you to be courageous and select cupcake liners that set the tone for your high tea. Of course, you can also use the silicone liners. I have had mixed success with silicone and I worry about them being a plastic derivative. One silicone pan my husband accidentally sliced with a sharp knife, not realizing that he couldn't cut the baking inside the pan. One silicone pan got burned (which scared me in terms of releasing toxins). Once silicone pan is still here but used quite rarely because it is a loaf pan and doesn't want to hold its shape when I fill it. Are we asking to much of silicone?

Now, as for cupcake liners, I am not sure if biodegradable versions exist. The best would probably be parchment cupcake liners. I think parchment is the answer to life - they make great bags for lunches, line every cookie sheet I own, and are reusable. My husband hates washing them, but I don't seem to have as much trouble with it. I think the parchment cupcake liners are not reusable, but they break down quickly in the environment, especially after being used.

Go for polka dots if you want the party to be fun.

Look for florals if you want girly.

Black liners are great for men.

Swirly and colourful are great for teens.

And, of course, you have to choose hearts for Valentine's Day.

Let your imagination run wild!

Last night another Will Farrell movie was referenced during the news. One that I had never seen. It made me wonder, how many movies has Will Farrell been in?

Hunting around on the 'net, I discovered a reference to 42 (yes -- FOURTY TWO)! I think this number has increased, especially with the release of the latest Zoolander. Will is racking up the cash! While these delicious little cakes reference the evil character from Zoolander, the real McCoy is a true master of disguise. While there are many Will Farrell characters that I can't stand, there are some that I am dedicated to -- his character in Elf being one of them.

Here, I am providing you with a tiny taste of the evil Mugatu, just so you'll see why these cakes are named so.

Can you see the association?

It would be easy to have hundreds of piping tips - if you had the room. Piping icing is a magical way to transform an edible item from being just food to art. Use this search engine to find a set of tips that includes what you need to make this recipe.

DO NOT EVER use disposable piping bags. Ever. Little choices do make a difference and you don't need to be adding piping bags to landfill. There is enough garbage from the paper liners of cupcakes!

Below I am recommending piping bags that are reusable. Wash them. It's easy.

These piping bags have the Teapixie Stamp of Approval!

Yum. Like I said, I love icing. I love it more than cake.

Here's a great icing.

Serves: Me/Covers 48 cupcakes

Maybe you want to make this as a cake or you have to use different ingredients. Here is a suggestion and some links to follow.

1. Bake this as a cake in two round 9" pans. 50-60 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Are you wanting to measure in weights? Here is a link to a conversion page Weights and Volumes Converter

3. An interesting ingredient substition and equivalent chart is available at Ingredient Substitutions and Equivalents with a reference to flours on page 3

4. For comprehensive baking substitutions (particularly wheat flours) please take a look at Wheat Flour Substitutes

What is your opinion of this recipe? Would it be worth making? All of the little pixies that have nibbled on these tiny treats would say so. ;)