Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Pull a patriotic trick on your grandkids this Fourth of July with these cupcakes that look a lot like ice cream in a cone. Bonus: The cone is a tidy, portable way to serve up dessert to kids on the run in the backyard.

Blogger and baking enthusiast Kerry Hamilton, a.k.a. Bakergirl, conceived of these "cutest cupcakes ever," which feature rich chocolate cupcakes, crispy cones, and thick swirls of buttercream frosting that looks like vanilla soft-serve.

Ingredients:
24 flat-bottom ice cream cones
1 batch of cupcakes (either homemade or from a boxed mix)
1 batch of Vanilla Buttercream frosting (see below)
Red, white, and blue sprinkles in assorted shapes

For the vanilla buttercream:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven according to recipe or boxed cake mix. Place an ice cream cone standing up in each of the wells of a 24-cup muffin pan. 

2. Prepare cupcake batter according to directions and spoon into ice cream cones, filling them 2/3 of the way full. 

3. Bake according to directions, for about 20-23 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. 

4. When cupcakes have cooled, prepare your vanilla buttercream: In a large bowl beat butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Beat in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of milk; beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Add additional milk for desired spreading consistency.

5. Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes in big generous swirls (I used a Wilton #1M tip for these cupcakes). Decorate with sprinkles!

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Recipe courtesy of Bakergirl.