Red Velvet Mickey Mouse Cupcakes
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These adorable Red Velvet Mickey Mouse cupcakes let you bring a little bit of Disney into your kitchen. Great for everything from birthday parties to bake sales, this sweet treat will be a hit with both kids and adults alike.
We’re a little obsessed with Disney World and I’m not ashamed to admit it! I mean, it’s such a magical place, how could you NOT love it!
Since we can’t be there as much as we’d like, sometimes we’ll recreate the magic of Disney at home too and this time we’re doing it with cupcakes in the shape of Mickey ears.
Moist cake and sweet frosting are colored with Mickey’s signature red and black colors and miniature Oreo cookies form the mouse ears. Red cupcake liners and colored sprinkles complete the Mickey Mouse theme for an easy cupcake that’s both delicious and incredibly cute.
Why We Love This Recipe
It’s Kid-Friendly: Little Mickey Mouse lovers will have a blast making this delicious treat! Kids always love fun recipes and adding the sprinkles and the Oreo mouse ears to the top of the cupcake may be the easiest part but it’s also the most important. Let the little ones handle this task and they’ll feel like they’ve created a masterpiece!
It’s a Crowd Pleaser: Even if you’re not one of the super fans who are crazy for all things Disney, it’s hard not to smile when you see the adorable mickey shape of these cupcakes. This recipe is always a showstopper at parties and events.
Ingredients – For The Cake
- 1⅛ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1½ tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp real vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp red food coloring (we recommend using gel food coloring)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
Ingredients – For The Frosting
- 1¼ lbs (2½ packages) cream cheese, softened
- 12 tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tsp real vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- black food coloring
For Decorating
- red cupcake liners
- mini Oreo cookies
- Mickey Mouse sprinkles
How To Make Mickey Mouse Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with red cupcake liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and vinegar together.
Step 4: In another small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and food coloring. Stir together to form a paste.
Step 5: Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 6: Reduce the mixing speed to low, then add one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the egg and buttermilk mixture. Continue to alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures until all of each is combined into a batter.
Step 7: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the cocoa paste to the batter and beat until just combined.
Step 8: Fill each of the paper liners about ¾ of the way to the top. Be careful not to overfill.
Step 9: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Step 10: Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the cupcake tins, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
How to Make the Frosting
Step 1: Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until smooth.
Step 2: Reduce speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix until combined.
Step 3: Add enough black food coloring to turn the frosting black (about one and a half tablespoons) and mix well.
Decorating the Cupcakes
Step 1: Fill a piping or pastry bag with frosting. Using the tip of your choice (round or star tips work best), frost the cupcake by making circles from the outer edge to the center, swirling the icing into a dome.
Step 2: Place two Mini Oreo cookies on the sides to make the ears and then sprinkle the top of the cupcake with Mickey Mouse sprinkles.
Tips & Tricks
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a sturdy Ziploc bag instead. Cut one of the corners off the bag just large enough to allow your decorating tip to fit through. If you don’t have decorating tips, you can pipe the frosting directly though the bag. It may not come out quite as evenly, but it’ll still work in a pinch.
- If you don’t have time to make the cake batter from scratch, feel free to use a boxed cake mix. Make vanilla cupcakes by using white cake mix and adding red food coloring, or you can use a red velvet cake mix.
- Instead of frosting from scratch, you can buy premade frosting and add black food coloring. You may even find store-bought chocolate frosting that’s dark enough without adding the food coloring.
- If you want to turn these into Minnie Mouse cupcakes, start by using polka-dotted cupcake liners. Then you can buy polka dotted bows or use a candy mold to make your own edible bows. Place the bow in front of your Oreo ears and your cupcake is good to go.
- Try using a batter spoon to fill your cupcake liners – it’s a great way to get a perfect and uniform amount of batter every time.
Store any leftovers in the fridge and be sure to put them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out. They should keep for about 3-4 days.
Can I Freeze Mickey Mouse Cupcakes?
Yes – they will keep in the freezer for up to three months in a Ziploc bag or freezer bag. While it’s fine to freeze them with the frosting, you’ll want to wait until just before you’re ready to serve to add the Oreo cookie ears and sprinkles.
Mickey Mouse Cupcakes
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
For The Frosting
- 20 ounces 2 1/2 packages cream cheese, softened
- 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Black food coloring
For Decorating
Instructions
For The Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with red cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt, and whisk the mixture together.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and vinegar.
- In another small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and food coloring and stir together to form a paste.
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixing speed to low, then add one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the egg and buttermilk mixture. Continue to alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures until all of each is combined into a batter.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the cocoa paste to the batter and beat until just combined.
- Fill each of the paper liners about ¾ of the way to the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the cupcake tins, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
For The Frosting
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until smooth.
- Reduce speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture. Continue to mix until combined.
- Add enough black food coloring to turn the frosting black (about one and a half tablespoons) and mix well.
- Fill a piping or pastry bag with frosting. Using the tip if your choice (round or star tips work best), frost the cupcake by making circles from the outer edge to the center, swirling the icing into a dome.
- Place two Mini Oreo cookies on the sides to make the ears and then sprinkle the top of the cupcake with Mickey Mouse sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
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