Pirate Cupcakes
These adorable Pirate Cupcakes bring sandy beaches, blue frosting waves, and a chocolate treasure chest straight to your dessert table. They make the perfect little treat for the pirate fans in your life.
Servings 12
Calories 372kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 baked vanilla cupcakes
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter ¾ cup
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs Very finely ground
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- Blue food coloring
- Gold sprinkles
- 24 Hershey’s nuggets
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and salt on medium speed until smooth.1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- Slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing until fully combined.4-5 cups powdered sugar
- Add the milk and vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt then mix until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.2 tbsp milk, Pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Use about half of the frosting to loosely frost the top of each cupcake. It does not need to look perfect at this point.12 baked vanilla cupcakes
- Dip half of each cupcake into the graham cracker crumbs to form the sandy beach.½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- Transfer about 1/3 cup of frosting into a piping bag with a small open tip.
- Pipe small dollops along the edge of the sand and gently drag them downward. Swirl lightly with a toothpick to create the crashing waves.
- Add blue food coloring to the remaining frosting and mix until evenly colored. Then, frost the plain side of each cupcake with the blue frosting, stopping at the piped edge.Blue food coloring
- Swirl the blue frosting gently with a toothpick to mimic water movement.
- Unwrap all Hershey’s nuggets. Place two nuggets in a microwave-safe dish and melt until smooth.24 Hershey’s nuggets
- Smear melted chocolate along the long edge of one nugget, then attach a second nugget to form an open treasure chest. You can use foil if needed to hold the nuggets in place while the chocolate sets.
- Repeat until all treasure chests are assembled, then place one chocolate treasure chest into the graham cracker sand of each cupcake.
- Spoon gold sprinkles into each open chest to create the treasure. This is optional, but you can place a little melted chocolate inside the treasure chest to hold the gold coins in place.Gold sprinkles
- Finish by placing a pirate flag pick next to the chest.
Notes
- Store frosted Pirate Cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
- Remove the pirate flag and chocolate treasure chest, then freeze the frosted cupcakes in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add the decorations back before serving.
- I like to crush the graham crackers until they’re almost powdery so the beach looks smooth instead of chunky.
- Be sure to let cupcakes cool completely before decorating. Otherwise the frosting may melt.
- Wait to add the pirate flags until you are ready to serve so they stay upright. This also makes the cupcakes easier to store.
- If your frosting feels a little too soft for clean swirls, just pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes before decorating or add about 1/2 cup more of your confectioner’s sugar.
- If the frosting is too thick, just add a tiny splash of milk and mix again until it softens.
Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 1mg