Zebra Cupcakes

5 from 3 votes

Soft, rich chocolate cupcakes get topped with a smooth layer of frosting, a sparkly sugar coat, and playful zebra stripes. With candy melt faces, M&M ears, and a touch of sparkle gel, these treats bring the safari right to your dessert table!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: zebra cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $7.45

Equipment

Muffin pan

Ingredients

3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sour cream full-fat, or full-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk or see note 1
1 (15.25-ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix uncooked
1 (3.4-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding and pie filling uncooked
1 (16-ounce) container cream cheese frosting or your favorite homemade frosting

Make ’em into a ZEBRA

White sparkling sugar
Black candy melts
Brown M&M’s
Black decorating gel

US - Metric

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, briskly whisk the eggs for 20 seconds. Add the vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla, and buttermilk. (If you don’t have buttermilk, combine 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tbsp white vinegar in a separate cup and let sit for 5 minutes, then add to mixture.) Mix.
Add in the cake mix and pudding mix (both not prepared) and stir to combine. (Do not over-stir or beat in too much air.)
Fill up the liners 3/4 the way full and bake for 17–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove and allow to cool completely.

Frosting and Decorating

Frost the cupcakes smoothly with a butterknife.
Pour the white sparkling sugar into a bowl and dip the frosted cupcakes into the sugar. Gently press to coat all the frosting in the sprinkles.
Frost the back of a black candy melt and adhere it to the bottom half of the cupcake. Add 2 M&M’s for ears.
Use the black sparkle gel to add hair to the zebra (between the M&M’s), stripes, eyes, and a smile face to the candy melt.

Notes

Note 1: Instead of buttermilk, use 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 tbsp vinegar—mixed together and let sit for 5 minutes.

Storage: Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If refrigerated, let them sit at room temp before serving for the best texture.

Nutrition