Football Cupcakes

🍫 Base: Chocolate Cupcakes (Makes 12)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
• ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk (or ½ cup milk + ½ tbsp vinegar)
• ½ cup (120ml) hot water or brewed coffee (enhances chocolate flavor)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

🧁 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, then stir in hot water or coffee. Batter will be thin.
5. Fill liners ⅔ full and bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool completely before decorating.

🏟 Football Field Frosting

✅ Vanilla Buttercream:

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3–4 cups (360–480g) powdered sugar
• 2–4 tbsp milk or cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Green gel food coloring

Instructions:

1. Beat butter until smooth.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar, then milk and vanilla until fluffy.
3. Tint frosting green to look like a football field.

🏈 Football Decorations (3 Options)

1. Piped Mini Footballs:
   Use chocolate frosting or melted chocolate to pipe small ovals onto parchment. Once set, pipe white laces using white chocolate or royal icing.
2. Fondant Footballs:
   Shape brown fondant into footballs and pipe laces with white icing.
3. Green Grass Look:
   Use a grass piping tip (#233) to pipe turf on top of the cupcakes, and place a mini chocolate football or sprinkle white yard lines.

🎉 Optional Extras:

• Write jersey numbers or team initials with white or dark chocolate.
• Add crushed Oreos around the base for a “mud” look.
• Pipe goalposts using white chocolate or pretzel sticks.

📝 Tips:

• For vanilla cupcakes, just omit the cocoa and increase flour to 1¼ cups.
• Can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container.
• Freeze undecorated cupcakes for up to 2 months.