HOW TO MAKE KOALA CUPCAKES

HOW TO MAKE AND DECORATE KOALA CUPCAKES

I have decorated these koala cupcakes a few times now to take to different wildlife events or get-together's with other wildlife carers. They are super easy, not expensive to make and very tasty despite having grey icing!  They are a lot of fun to make and perfect to make to celebrate Wild Koala Day or any special occasion.  Perfect for the kids to decorate themselves also.  N.B. The recipe can be easily adjusted to suit food intolerance's by using gluten free or vegan alternatives in the cake, milk, chocolate options etc as you normally would.  

How to make and decorate Koala Cupcakes - C/- Toowoomba Koala & Wildlife Rescue

MAKE THE CUPCAKES  (Option 1 - Easy Version- Packet Cake Mix)

1. Purchase a 340g Butter Cake Packet mix and make per directions. (traditional recipe to make cupcakes from scratch below)
2. Beat with electric mixer until thick and creamy - following directions on packet.
3. Use a muffin tin tray rather than a traditional cupcake tin tray (these are too small to decorate easily).  Place patty cases into the muffin tray (suggest using silver foil or black paper cases where possible to match the koala decor)
4. Fill the cases 2/3 of the way up with prepared cupcake mixture and bake in moderate oven for around 20 minutes until firm.​
5. Cool on tray while preparing the icing.

MAKE THE CUPCAKES (OPTION 2 - Make Cakes from Scratch)

• 125g Butter
• 2/3 cup Caster Sugar (140g)
• 2 large Eggs
• vanilla
• 1/3 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 cups Self-Raising Flour (190g)

1. Beat butter and sugar to a cream.
2. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well, add vanilla.
3. Sift flour and add to mixture alternately with milk.
4. Beat until mixed into a soft dough.  Follow options 3-4 in Option 1 Directions to bake.

Making the Grey Icing for decorating the Koala Cupcakes - Copyright Toowoomba Koala & Wildlife Rescue

VIENNA CREAM ICING (Rich and fluffy and easy to ice and add colour to)

• 125 g Butter (use real butter, not margarine for best result)
• 1 1/2 cups Icing Sugar (sifted)
• 2 tablespoons Milk
• Black Food Colouring

1. Have butter at room temperature, beat the butter in small bowl of electric mixer, until it is as white as possible.  
2. Gradually add in half of the sifted icing sugar, then all of the milk, and follow with the rest of the icing sugar.
3. Add in a couple of drops of the black food colouring until mixed through, to make desired grey icing colour.

How to make and decorate Koala Cupcakes - C/-Toowoomba Koala & Wildlife Rescue

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR KOALA CUPCAKES
Decoration Ingredients:

• Prepared cooled Cupcakes & Grey Icing
• Desiccated Coconut
• Black Jelly Beans for the Koala Nose
• White marshmallows (traditional size) for the Koala Ears (alternative option is to use large white choc-melts)
• Milk or Dark Chocolate Chips for the Koala Eyes (alternative option is to use black or brown smarties or m&m's)
• Black Food Colouring
• Grey Sprinkles/Food Grade Glitter or Dessicated Cocconut for the Koala Inner Ears

1. Ice cupcakes with a flat blade knife.
2. Cut White Marshmallows in half with kitchen scissors and then dust sticky side of marshmallows in grey sprinkles or food glitter. Press on marshmallows to top of cake as  the "koala ears" with the sprinkle/glitter side facing up.  Alternatively you can just use dessicated coconut if you don't have sprinkles.
3. Add upside down chocolate chips as eyes (so flat side is facing up) and add the jelly beans as a nose.
4. To create the grey koala "fur", place 1 cup of dessicated cocounut into a plastic zip seal bag and add a few drops of black food colouring. Seal bag and mix the colouring thorugh the cocounut by "kneading the bag" until the colour has lightly dusted the coconut to a a white grey colour.  Sprinkle the coconut on the icing on the koala face.
5. Store in an air-tight container and in the refrigerator if the weather is warmer.... that is if they last that long!  Enjoy!

We would love to see how your cupcakes turn out to tag us on social media! #toowoombakoalaandwildliferescue  @toowoombakoalaandwildliferescue 
You can support orphaned, injured and sick koalas during their rescue and rehabilitation HERE
Find out more about Wild Koala Day on 3rd May HERE

Happy Baking & Thank-you for loving our Koalas!
​
Judi Gray
Toowoomba Koala & Wildlife Rescue