There’s something about turtles that I find so endearing.
I don’t know if it’s their slow but determined way of getting about, or how they can disappear into the ‘homes’ they carry on their backs. Either way, they’re a fascinating creature, and as part of our Earth Week celebration at school this week and World Turtle Day on May 23rd, my classes are making Turtle Cupcakes to raise money for American Tortoise Rescue.
I know, World Turtle Day?
According to Wikipedia and American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), “…the day was created to help people protect and celebrate turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world… ATR is the founding sponsor of World Turtle Day and is certified by state and federal agencies as a nonprofit corporation to provide for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle.”
Hope you like my sweet version of these ancient fellows and definitely enjoy this decadent chocolate cupcake with a tall glass of milk!
If you’d like to try making these, the recipes and how-to’s follow:
*
How to Make Turtle Toppers:
The round turtle design comes from these Doodlebug scrap-booking brads, HERE.
You’ll need:
- Royal Icing Recipe and Food Gel Colorings
- Piping Tips #2 and #3
- Piping Bag
- Coupler
- Parchment Paper or Acetate/Transparency Sheet
- Shortening
- Black Food Color Pen
*
Instructions:
Step 1: Using a #3 tip, pipe a circle of green royal icing on slightly greased acetate paper.
Step 2: Using a #3 tip, immediately fill in the center with brown icing.
Step 3: Gently shake the acetate paper on the table so that the icing smoothes over.
Step 4: Wet-on-wet technique – Using a #2 tip, pipe the dots on the brown icing
Step 5: Immediately pipe the second layer of dots.
Step 6: Gently shake the acetate paper on the table so that the icing smoothes over.
Step 7: Using a #2 tip, add the head, legs and tail
Step 8: Let the icing dry for 24 hours and add two dots as eyes, using a black food color marker.
The second turtle kind of happened while I was playing around with the icing. Here’s how you do it:
Clear as mud?
I didn’t think I’d be using him in this post, so didn’t photograph how I did it, but hopefully the instructions were clear enough.
The best thing to do is try it out and the key element to the instructions in the photo above, is that you take the piece of acetate paper, slide it under the edge of the circle of royal icing (the turtle shell), and then move the acetate paper as if you’re about to scoop up or scrape off the icing; it makes the circle curl and create the shape of a domed turtle shell.
So now on to the cupcakes themselves:
Turtle Cupcakes
When you bite into this cupcake, you’ll find a chocolate turtle surprise!
*Note: It may look like the batter around the turtle isn’t fully baked but the tester (barbeque skewer lol), came out clean!
Besides the recipes, you’ll need:
Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes Recipe
Chocolate Turtle Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) coffee
- 24-28 chocolate *Turtles *You can buy the name-brand Turtles, but bulk food stores usually carry them as well. If you can’t find them, substitute some chocolate melts, a few pecans and a caramel square.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth.
- Set the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping thoroughly between each addition.
- Alternately add the flour and sour cream mixtures to the butter mixture in two batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.
- Gradually pour in the coffee. Scrape down the bowl and beat until thoroughly combined.
- Scoop the batter into your cupcake liners with a spoon or ice cream scoop.
- Bake for 26 minutes or until the center of the cupcake has just set. (I insert a barbeque skewer to check).
- Take out the cupcakes, make a little hole in the center with a knife and insert a Turtle chocolate as far as the cupcake allows.
- Bake for another 4 minutes. Once cupcakes have cooled and you’ve removed them from the muffin tin, top with chocolate icing and *optional toppings.
Chocolate Buttercream Icing Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups 35% cream
- 1 tbsp clear corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 ounces unsalted (room temperature) butter
- 16 ounces (1 lb) icing sugar *also known as confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate and cream together. (Make your own version by placing a glass or stainless steel bowl on top of a pot with simmering water). Stir occasionally until the chips are melted.
- Off the heat, stir in the corn syrup and vanilla and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture, softened butter and icing sugar on medium speed for a few minutes, until it has thickened.
*Optional toppings – Caramel sauce, melted milk chocolate and small pieces of Turtles chocolates. I cheated and used the caramel dipping sauce from the supermarket, which you can usually find by the apples. One tip about applying the caramel; I heated it up in the microwave for about a minute, then put it in a canvas piping bag fitted with a #2 tip, and piped it on. This prevents big globs of caramel from falling on your cupcake (although that could be kind of yummy!). Squeeze bottles work really well for this and melted chocolate as well.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture, softened butter and icing sugar on medium speed for a few minutes, until it has thickened.
* You can find a video on how to make the cupcake swirl here.
Hope you enjoy making these rich chocolate turtle cupcakes!
I’ll leave you with this:
Sorry. Couldn’t resist! (You can thank my husband for the joke).
xo,
Marian
p.s. Thanks for making me laugh with your ‘turtle speech bubble’ suggestions on facebook!
p.s.s. An update on the new Sweet of the Week contest – Wow! I’m so happy to see you’re sending me your pictures and please keep on sending them. I have enough for weeks to come and am wondering if I should add more photos to each contest. Let me know your thoughts.
Check out this week’s contest HERE and vote for your favorite sweet.
Trish says
Oh my this is a wonderful post, Marian. I just might have to call in sick to work this week just so I can stay home and makes these and try out this great tutorial. This site is so wonderful. Take care ~Trish
marian says
Thanks Trish! I understand how you feel; I would often like to just stay home and try making all sorts of new and fun sweets. The ‘to-do’ list keeps growing! We’ll always have something to look forward I guess! 😉
niner from wechooseorganic.com says
Good morning !!!
7.35am and ALREADY have something so sweet and cute to look at!! I absolutely L O V E this post, Marian. I am sure we ALL need at least 10 extra days OFF of work for baking haha…How nice would that be eh? I love turtles as well, always been amazed by these animals. What a coincidence :-)) lol
Thanks so much for putting so much effort in this post, as usual.
Have a good night ya’ll overseas 😉
Much <3
niner
tintin carpio says
i like all your tutorials. you are just soooo good to share all of these. thank you so much for sharing…. it really inspires me.
Marce776 says
These are soooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!!
Noêmia says
Adoro o seu trabalho e me encanta o seu talento!
Parabéns!
🙂
Lisa Lou says
Love this! What a great way to help turtles and teach kids how they can make a difference. You are teaching them how to get involved in things they care about and that will make this world a better place. Thank you!!!!!
Kathy says
These cupcakes are ADORABLE!!! What a SWEET way to help this cause! As always, you amaze me!
~Kathy
June g. says
Oh jeez! You made the turtle toppers? I’m doomed….
morgana says
The CUTEST thing EVER !!!
Maria Helena Cella says
It´s so gorgeous….You are very criative…
Ken⏐hungry rabbit says
Brilliant post and oh so adorable.
Bediels & Co. (Jen) says
Oh my gosh, those turtles are absolutely adorable. And the cupcakes look so delicious… ummm, I love turtles.. 🙂
Nilda says
Love the turtles!! they are so cute!!
I love the cupcake stand too…. lovely…
And thank you for teaching us about ATR.
Blessings.
Paula says
My sister loves turtles as well and collects turtle figurines. Something tells me she’d love to start collecting turtle cupcakes! So sweet and delicious.
Yuri @ Chef Pandita says
These turtles are ADORABLE!
Chef Danielle @ Cooking Clarified says
I love that these have actual Turtle candies in them!! Beautiful!
Sukaina says
Marian- when I read teh post title, I thought it would be soemthign to do with the Canadian chocolate turtles! These are even more cute tho!
Gwenevere says
Those turtles are adorable but it’s the turtle inside that really speaks to me. I love carmel and chocolate.
dulce y sweet says
I love these turtles
maria says
how beautiful and delicious these turtle cupcakes look mmmh….You are a great teacher! I love your blog!
ML
marian says
Aw, shucks! THANK YOU!
Amy @ A Little Nosh says
Okay, that is INSANELY cute!
Melissa says
LOVE the turtles!!!!!!
Yamina says
I love your choice of colors!
Kimmie says
Too cute, too cute, too cute! Love them!
meaghan (the decorated cookie) says
Beyond cute! I can’t even handle the cuteness. I posted a link on ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com 🙂
marian says
Thank you! xo
Maria - Greece says
Marian, what an excellent idea so fun and cute.
Bravo!
You make my day!
I will definitely try the recipe!
Linda @ Lemon Drop says
These are wonderful! So inventive and delicious 🙂
Cathey says
I love these! My son loves tortoises, especially his pet Shelly, so these will be perfect for him!
I never knew there was a World Turtle Day, but I’ll use any excuse to celebrate by making cupcakes!
Thanks for the recipe!
Pudding Pie Lane says
I love this! You are so talented 🙂 Happy ‘world of turtles day!’
erin wilhelm says
your talent is just amazing! thanks for another wonderful and inspiring post. one of these days i’m going to attempt royal icing decorations!
Amber says
These are absolutely adorable!!!
Jennifer Nixon says
Love, love, love these!!
Rowaida Flayhan says
Wow!!! Love this tutorial u r sooooooo creative Marian xo
Marian says
Thank you for dropping by and commenting!
Melissa says
Wow, I can almost taste them. Can’t wait to try it out!…but you don’t need icing sugar for the buttercream??
marian says
Thank for the comments! =)
Melissa, oops i cut and paste hastily, sorry! And thank you for bringing it to my attention! I’ve corrected the butter and icing sugar (added a 1 to the butter to make 12 ounces and you need 16 ounces of icing sugar!)
Cali says
Ohh! To cute!! And so yummy looking! =D
Where did you find your white 3 tier cupcake plate? That’s *exactly* what I’m looking for! =)
Thanks so much for the recipe and smiles! =)
Cristin (Pinkie) says
Love the icing turtle! So cute!
Melissa says
These are adorable!
Anita says
Great post! Thanks so much for sharing. Can’t wait to try them out…I love turtles too!
Lori says
These turtles are so cute! My real-life pet turtle is not nearly as cute, but I agree that turtles are endearing. I also love the turtle candy surprise in the center!
Myrna says
Soooooooo cute!!!! Absolutely love turtles; especially the chocolate variety=) Great royal icing decos!
Marsha @ The Harried Cook says
I just came over from Foodbuzz and I think you are fantastic! I love your blog and all the awesome things you’ve made… Congrats on Top 9 & you can bet I will be back for more!
Jill@MadAboutMacarons says
What an amazing site and fun post – and bravo on Top9 with these amazing cupcakes. What an amazing decoration with the turtles and great tutorial on making them, too!
RavieNomNoms says
I saw you on the Top 9 and I had to come visit. These are just SO cute! You did an amazing job on them. Congrats!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi and thank you for your lovely comments!
sweetsugarbelle says
These look delicious! and that turtle is the cutest thing EVER!!! COOKIE that little guy SOON!
Donna from Yumma Yumma says
These are adorable! I too have always had a love of turtles even as a little girl. And the cupcakes look so yummy too! I will have to make these for my next family or church gathering!! Thanks!
Katarina says
These are so cute and the chocolate turtle surprise is lovely!