Reindeer Cupcakes

So festive and fun, perfect for passing out to neighbors or bringing to classroom parties. Or eating by the handful while you stare at mindless television.

Yields 2 dozen

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 box Super Moist Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee grounds

Frosting:

• 8 large egg whites
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 (12 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 24 small pretzels
• black cake decorating icing
• red cake decorating icing

Directions

1. Preheat oven according to cake packaging directions. Lightly spray cupcake tin with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, coffee grounds, water, oil and eggs, and beat together until homogeneous.
3. Pour batter into cupcake tins and bake according to packaging directions.
4. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
5. Set up a double boiler by filling a small saucepan with 1-inch full of water.
6. In a heat-proof bowl placed on top of the saucepan, vigorously whisk egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar together until sugar is completely dissolved. 3-5 minutes.
7. Remove bowl from heat (keeping saucepan on the stove) and beat, slowly moving from low to high speed, until stiff peaks form. 5-7 minutes. Then add vanilla and mix until combined. Frosting should be very glossy.
8. Pipe or spoon frosting onto cupcakes.
9. Pour chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl and set over simmering saucepan. Pour in heavy cream and sea salt and mix until chips are completely melted and smooth.
10. Take cupcakes and dip them, one at a time, in chocolate glaze so that marshmallow frosting is coated.
11. Insert pretzels into still drying frosting and set aside.
12. Once set, pipe 2 dots of marshmallow frosting on each cupcake. These are the eyes of your reindeer.
13. Take your black cake icing and make 2 smaller dots on top of the white dots.
14. Use red icing to make 1 larger dot underneath the eyes. This is the nose of the reindeer. Repeat with remaining cupcakes, let set and enjoy!

Recipe from 12tomatoes