Cat in the Hat Cake and Cupcakes

Sometimes I get asked to make very specific cakes.  Clients will email me pictures of cakes that they want me to recreate and tell me what flavors, icing and colors to use on the cake.  Other times, clients give me only a general theme or color to work with and the rest is up to me.  I recently received an order for a small cake and cupcakes for a Dr. Seuss party.  It was up to me to choose the design of the cupcakes so I headed to the internet for inspiration.  Wow. 

I guess it goes without saying that Dr. Seuss cupcakes were over the top - just like the books.  The cupcakes were bright and colorful and playful and fun.  I knew immediately that this was going to be a FUN project.

I ended up creating my own version of hat cupcakes based on the ideas that I found on the internet. 

To make the hat cupcakes, you will need the following supplies:

1 bag of stuffer marshmallows
strawberry fruit roll ups
marshmallow sticks
white melting chocolate
wooden skewers

Start by cutting the marshmallow sticks into thirds with scissors.

Bend skewers at the top.

Insert bent end of skewer into the marshmallow.

Trim marshmallow stuffer into a circle. 

Poke through the bottom of the skewer and slide up to the marshmallow stick.

Melt chocolate in a mug. 

Holding end of marshmallow skewer, dip each hat into melted chocolate and then place in a styrofoam block to dry.

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You could still see the color through the chocolate after the first dipping so I let them dry and then dipped them again.  Much better coverage the second time.  Cut fruit roll ups into strips and wrap around dried chocolate.

Bake a batch of chocolate cupcakes.

Frost with a ring of buttercream.

Top with blue tinted buttercream.

Add hats.

For the fish cupcakes, you will need the following supplies...

orange starburst candies (or tootsie rolls)
white pearls
black food coloring

Microwave the candy for no more than 5 seconds to make them soft and pliable.  

Shape each candy into a fish shape.  While it is still soft, insert pearls for eyeballs.  Use black food coloring to make pupils on each fish.

Bake a batch of red velvet cupcakes.

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Frost with blue tinted cream cheese frosting. 

Top each cupcake with a tiny orange fish.

Thing 1 and thing 2 cupcake supplies:  paper to print labels and blue cotton candy

Bake a batch of vanilla cupcakes.

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Frost with blue buttercream.  Top with cotton candy hair.

Attach a Thing 1 or thing 2 sticker to each cupcake liner.  (I printed mine on the computer, cut them out with scissors and hot glued them to the paper liner.)

What child could resist a cupcake topped with cotton candy?  My goal was to use child friendly ingredients to make the decorations.  Starburst candy, marshmallow sticks, fruit by the foot, melted chocolate and cotton candy seemed like much better decoration material than fondant or gumpaste for a children's party. 

Ciao!