ChocolateMousseScoop

Toadstool Cupcake

Decorate these cupcakes with caterpillars, snails, or acorns made with tinted fondant. They can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Decorating the toadstools: To turn a cupcake into a toadstool, use enough batter so it overflows when it bakes; cut the tops off level with the tin, and set them aside. To make the stem, invert the cupcake bases, and spoon glaze over them to coat; add the caps, and similarly coat with glaze.

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for muffin tins
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
Butter Glaze
Cinnamon candies, for decorating
Green food coloring

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups (every other cup) plus the top of a 12-cup standard muffin tin and 4 cups plus the top of another 12-cup muffin tin. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put melted butter and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix 2 minutes more. Mix in vanilla.

Mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk in 2 batches. Divide batter among the 10 prepared cups in the muffin tins, filling to the top edge. Add more batter to the center of each so that it mounds 1/2 inch above rim.

Bake, removing halfway through, gently tapping on counter, and switching positions of tins, until cupcakes are slightly golden and a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in tins on wire racks. Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 day before decorating.

Slide a serrated knife, lying flat against the top of the muffin tin, under the overflowed cap of each cupcake, and slice it off level with the tin; set tops aside. Run a butter knife around edges of cupcake bases to loosen. Invert, and unmold onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, leaving the bases inverted.

Spoon glaze over cupcake bases. Place caps on inverted bases. Spoon glaze over tops (reserve remaining glaze). Let stand 1 minute. Smooth any drips with a toothpick or knife. Decorate with cinnamon candies. Let stand at room temperature until glaze is firm, about 1 hour.

Transfer cupcakes to a serving platter using an offset spatula. Tint leftover glaze with green food coloring. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #2). Pipe blades of grass around the bases of the cupcakes. Cupcakes can be loosely covered and stored at room temperature up to 2 hours. Place fondant decorations on top of glazed cupcakes just before serving.