Shark Week inspired Shark Cupcakes!

Today we are kicking off a month of sea creature cupcakes to celebrate Cupcake Saturday!  We, of course, had to start with these Shark Week inspired Shark Cupcakes! This weekend Shark Weeks kicks off on tv and that seems like the perfect reason to celebrate with cupcakes.

Do you watch Shark Week? We try to catch as much of it as we can. We had the chance to snorkel with sharks in Grand Turk last year and it was amazing. Now I really want to go on a shark cage adventure. I say that now but will probably freak out the moment we book it but oh my gosh how crazy would it be! Can you imagine being in a cage as a big shark swam by? EEK!

Shark Week inspired Shark Cupcakes!

Cupcake Ingredients:

½ C unsalted butter, room temp
2 egg whites
2 eggs
2 C flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ baking soda
¾ C buttermilk
1 ½ C sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cupcake Directions: 

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line the cupcake tins with paper liners.
-Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.
-Beat butter on high for 30 seconds.
-Add sugar and vanilla extract to the butter .... beating until well combined.
-Add egg whites, and then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until everything is mixed together.
-Add ⅓ C  flour mixture to the wet mixture followed by adding   ⅓  C of the buttermilk; add ⅓ C flour mixture again then add ⅓ C  buttermilk mix on low speed, add ⅓ C of flour and add the rest of ⅓ C of buttermilk mix on low speed until thoroughly blended.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted cupcake comes out clean.
-Allow cooling in the cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
-Remove the cupcakes from the cupcake tin and completely cool on a wire rack.

Frosting:

Frosting Ingredients:

1 C soft unsalted butter
4 + C powder sugar
4 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Blue  gel food coloring

Frosting Directions: 

-Cream the butter and powder sugar until it looks light and creamy.
-If it doesn't cream add several drops of the heavy whipping cream.
-Test to see if the frosting can form and hold a stiff peak.
-If not add more powder sugar ½ C at a time.
-Test to make sure that the frosting can make and hold a stiff peak.
-Divide the frosting into half..... 1st bowl remains white....2nd bowl, add several drops of blue gel food coloring... stir to mix well.
-Scoop the white frosting into a pastry bag with a large frosting tip....Scoop the blue frosting into the same pastry bag..... twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip. You may want to test this out to make sure that the frosting comes out with both the blue and white frosting at the same time.
-Frost the cupcakes by starting at the outer edge of the cupcake in a circle until you reach the center of the cupcake.

Royal Icing:

Icing Ingredients: 

2 egg whites
1 C powder sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Grey or silver  gel food coloring

Icing Directions: 

-Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring)
-If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powder sugar.
- Spoon the icing into a bowl.
-Add several drops of the gray/silver gel food coloring in the large bowl of icing ... stir well to mix the color.

Shark Tail:

Locate a picture of a Sharks  Tail on Google... print the picture in color. Tape this picture with small numerous images of it on it to a cookie sheet.
-Tape wax paper (covering the copies of the sharks tail ) to the cookie sheet. Follow the color and features as printed on the paper.
-Using a small pastry bag fill with the Grey royal icing and a #2 tip.  Start by outlining the image first.... Fill in the image with the royal icing...
-Allow drying for 5-10 hours.
-Ensure that the sharks tail is dry, gently touch one of them with your finger if it allows you to push in on the icing allow it to dry more.... If the sharks tail is dry then it will have a hard feeling not allowing you to push in on it.
-Cut the wax paper holding the completed shark tails into squares surrounding the completed design.
-If the image is dry peel them off the wax paper and place on the center of the frosted cupcake.

Do you love recipes? Check out our copy cat recipes, dessert recipes, and our Crock Pot Recipes.

Shark Week inspired Shark Cupcakes!

Print Rate

Author: Tammilee Tips

Ingredients

• Cupcake Ingredients:
• ½ C Unsalted Butter room temp
• 2 Egg Whites
• 2 Eggs
• 2 C All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ baking soda
• ¾ C buttermilk
• 1 ½ C White Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Frosting Ingredients:
• 1 C soft unsalted butter
• 4 + C powder sugar
• 4 Tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
• Blue gel food coloring
• Icing Ingredients:
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1 C Confectioners Powdered Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• Grey or silver gel food coloring

Instructions

• Cupcake Directions:
• -Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• -Line the cupcake tins with paper liners.
• -Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.
• -Beat butter on high for 30 seconds.
• -Add sugar and vanilla extract to the butter .... beating until well combined.
• -Add egg whites, and then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• -Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until everything is mixed together.
• -Add ⅓ C flour mixture to the wet mixture followed by adding ⅓ C of the buttermilk; add ⅓ C flour mixture again then add ⅓ C buttermilk mix on low speed, add ⅓ C of flour and add the rest of ⅓ C of buttermilk mix in low speed until thoroughly blended.
• -Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted cupcake comes out clean.
• -Allow to cool in the cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
• -Remove the cupcakes from the cupcake tin and completely cool on a wire rack.
• Frosting Directions:
• -Cream the butter and powder sugar until it looks light and creamy.
• -If it doesn't cream add several drops of the heavy whipping cream.
• -Test to see if the frosting can form and hold a stiff peak.
• -If not add more powder sugar ½ C at a time.
• -Test to make sure that the frosting can make and hold a stiff peak.
• -Divide the frosting into half..... 1st bowl remains white....2nd bowl, add several drops of blue gel food coloring... stir to mix well.
• -Scoop the white frosting into a pastry bag with a large frosting tip....Scoop the blue frosting into the same pastry bag..... twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip. You may want to test this out to make sure that the frosting comes out with both the blue and white frosting at the same time.
• -Frost the cupcakes by starting at the outer edge of the cupcake in a circle until you reach the center of the cupcake.
• Icing Directions:
• -Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring)
• -If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powder sugar.
• - Spoon the icing into a bowl.
• -Add several drops of the grey/silver gel food coloring in the large bowl of icing ... stir well to mix the color.
• Shark Tail:
• Locate a picture of a Sharks Tail on Google... print the picture in color. Tape this picture with small numerous images of it on it to a cookie sheet.
• -Tape wax paper (covering the copies of the sharks tail ) to the cookie sheet . Follow the color and features as printed on the paper.
• -Using a small pastry bag fill with the Grey royal icing and a #2 tip. Start by outlining the image first.... Fill in the image with the royal icing...
• -Allow to dry for 5-10 hours.
• -Ensure that the sharks tail is dry, gently touch one of them with your finger if it allows you to push in on the icing allow it to dry more.... If the sharks tail is dry then it will have a hard feeling not allowing you to push in on it.
• -Cut the wax paper holding the completed shark tails into squares surrounding the completed design.
• -If the image is dry peel them off the wax paper and place on the center of the frosted cupcake.

Love this recipe?Follow @TammileeTIps on Pinterest

Tried this recipe?Mention @TammileeTipsLife when you share a photo!