Adorable Chocolate Panda Cupcakes

Adorable Chocolate Panda Cupcakes are perfect for a panda themed birthday party. These deliciously easy chocolate cupcakes come together in a very short amount of time and will amaze all your guests for a special treat!

Adorable Chocolate Panda Cupcakes

I have so many things to say about these cupcakes.

First, they’re delicious. Second, they’re easily the cutest thing I’ve ever made.

I love pandas and I had a huge project and deadline at work this week with a client that happens to have “panda” in their name. It was meant to be.

I planned to make both the cake and frosting from scratch but I didn’t have enough powdered sugar on hand, so I used a Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting.

The actual cake recipe is amazing & very simple. There used to be an independent grocery store by our house that made giant chocolate chocolate chip muffins that I would (often) stop by and get after work. That store closed over a  year ago but this recipe tastes just like the muffins I’ve been missing. Tickle me pink.

My last story about these adorable chocolate panda cupcakes is that I went to three different stores to find supplies.

First, JoAnn, who didn’t have what I wanted.

Then Michaels, where I got the confetti sprinkles for the eyes and the sanding sugar. Both of those stores had the edible ink pens I needed, but they were around $9. I didn’t want to spend $9 just to draw on some pupils so I skipped them.

But, when I went to my final store, Meijer, to get the chocolate sprinkles, I found the same set, on clearance, for $3.99. AND THEN…they rang up for $0.79. Made my day.

By the way, if you are in the market for edible ink pens, I would not recommend the Wilton ones I got. They’re not great. 

On to the important part. The recipe.

Decorating Supplies

• Frosting (I used Betty Crocker cream cheese)
• Decorator bag and Ateco tip 807 (I used a ziploc bag & a random tip)
• White sanding sugar
• Chocolate Chips (I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips because that’s what I love)
• Jimmies (Chocolate or black)
• Pastel confetti sprinkles (just the white ones) for the pupils
• Black edible ink pen
• Mini cupcake wrappers

How to turn your cupcakes into Pandas

Frost your cupcakes. I piped them, but you don’t have to.

Pour some baking sugar into a bowl. Once frosted, smush (gently) your cupcake into the sugar, fully coating it.

Then, turn the cupcakes into pandas by adding:

• Two chocolate chips up at the top for the ears.
• One sideways (& upside down?) chocolate chip for the nose.
• Then I drew the pupils on the white sprinkles. Be careful because if you apply too much pressure, they break. Lesson learned.
• Use a little bit of frosting to “glue” the white sprinkle to a chocolate chip for the eyes. Then position the eyes however you want.
• Making the mouths with the chocolate jimmies was fun because you could give them personality. The smirking ones were my favorite.

Like these chocolate panda cupcakes? Then try my Monkey Cupcakes!

Adorable Chocolate Panda Cupcakes

Melissa Williams

Adorable Chocolate Panda Cupcakes – perfect for a panda themed birthday party or just because!

5 from 1 vote

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Decorating Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 48 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ⅓ cups granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup milk I used 2%
• ⅔ cup hot water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Fill mini cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together with a wire whisk.
  1 ½ cups all purpose flour, ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ⅓ cups granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
• Add eggs, oil, vanilla and milk and mix until combined.
  2 large eggs, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅔ cup milk
• Add hot water and mix.
  ⅔ cup hot water
• Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool and decorate.

Notes

Decorating Supplies
Frosting (I used Betty Crocker cream cheese)
Decorator bag and Ateco tip 807 (I used a ziploc bag & a random tip)
White sanding sugar
Chocolate Chips (I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips because that’s what I love)
Jimmies (Chocolate or black)
Pastel confetti sprinkles (just the white ones)
Black edible ink pen
Mini cupcake wrappers<br>
<br>
Frost your cupcakes. I piped them, but you don’t have to.

Pour some baking sugar into a bowl. Once frosted, smush (gently) your cupcake into the sugar, fully coating it.

Then it’s really up to you.

Two chocolate chips up at the top for the ears.
One sideways (& upside down?) for the nose.
Then I drew the pupils on the white sprinkles. Be careful because if you apply too much pressure, they break. Lesson learned.
Use a little bit of frosting to “glue” the white sprinkle to a chocolate chip for the eyes.
Then position the eyes however you want.
Making the mouths with the chocolate jimmies was fun because you could give them personality. The smirking ones were my favorite.

Source: Bakerella

Nutrition

Serving: 1g

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Tried this recipe? Tag me!Mention @melissa_pplates or tag #persnicketyplates!

Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying/pasting and/or screenshots of full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.

See Bakerella’s post for way better step by step instructions with pictures. I just looked at her pictures & copied. Everyone that saw these said the pictures don’t do them justice. I was proud.