Wednesday, July 25, 2012

popcorn cupcake tutorial


Finally...here is the popcorn cupcake tutorial I promised you.  There are many different versions of the popcorn cupcake out there- some people just use the yellow marshmallows, and some people use the white marshmallows spritzed with yellow food coloring.  Some leave the marshmallow shape and some twist them to look like popcorn.  I made mine a little differently. 


You will need three different colors of marshmallows- white, pastel yellow and a bright yellow.  The two different colors of yellow came from two different bags of the same brand of fruit flavored marshmallows found at Wal-Mart.  If you compare a few bags, you will often see a variance in color.  I bought two bags that had the widest range in color.  I think the variety of colors makes the popcorn more realistic.  You will also need a pair of kitchen scissors and some powdered sugar. 


You first need to make a small cut in the middle of the marshmallow and then make three small cuts in the top. 


 Twist the marshmallow lightly at the middle. 


Then press the three "petal" shapes made from the three cuts lightly until they begin to fan out. 

This is not a precise science.  The more shapes you have, the better the "popcorn" will look.  If the marshmallows get sticky while you are manipulating them, dust them lightly with the powdered sugar.  Be aware that the sugar will dull the yellow color of the marshmallows, so use it sparingly.

Once you have a small pile of "popcorn", start placing them on the cupcakes.  I used a vanilla cream cheese frosting on the cupcakes.  I did not dye mine, but you could dye the frosting a light yellow if you desire.


The finishing touch to the popcorn cupcakes is the cupcake liner which makes the cupcakes truly look like miniature buckets of popcorn.  Here is the popcorn cupcake liner template I used.  You can download the image and save it to your computer.  The image is 8.5"x11".  I printed it on card stock and altered the color a bit so they would look more vintage.  After cutting the liners out, I used double stick tape to form the cup and then placed them around the cupcakes.

source

Isabella loved her popcorn cupcakes, and I loved the fact that they were so simple to make, but made quite a statement at the same time.  These cupcakes would be great to make for an Oscar party too!



***Update***
 Be sure to check out the cutest "vintage circus" invitations here , and you can see Isabella's vintage circus birthday party here.

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11 comments:

  1. We just had a movie party for my daughter's 7th birthday, and I made popcorn cupcakes using your tips for the marshmallows. This is the best method I've seen, and they came out great!! (I did take an amazing amount of time, but it was worth it for the illusion!) Thank you!!

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    1. Thank you! I am glad that they turned out so well : ) I hope your daughter had the best birthday ever!

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  2. Thank you for the template I am soooo excited to make these ! =]

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  3. I love these popcorn cupcakes! I just need an excuse to make them :)

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    1. Thank you! I have found that you never need much of an excuse to make cupcakes...or eat them : )

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  4. If you only have white marshmallows, is there a way to color them for the "buttered effect"?

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    1. I have seen other popcorn cupcakes where white marshmallows were spritzed with yellow food coloring. It looks kind of like the butter was sprayed on. It is definitely a good alternative if you only have access to white marshmallows. Good Luck : )

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  5. How long would it take to make about 20 of these cupcakes?🍰

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  6. OMG.. these were so much fun to make and so simple. I could not find yellow marshmallows so I added yellow luster dust.

    Kathy Jo

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  7. You're a genius! I cannot wait to try this for the top of my son's popcorn cake! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

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