Owl Cupcakes

Name: Owl Cupcakes
Total time: 62
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 2 cups white sugar; 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted; 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 0.5 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup buttermilk; 0.5 cup vegetable oil; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup hot water; 0.75 cup heavy whipping cream; 1.5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream; 1.5 cups mascarpone cheese; 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese; 7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 0.25 cup white sugar; 48 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo®); 48 brown candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®); 24 orange or yellow candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®)

Recipe by Nesrine from allrecipes.com

Dessert 1 Hr. 2 Mins.

Ingredients

24 servings

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2 cups white sugar
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2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
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1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon salt
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0.5 teaspoon baking soda
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1 cup buttermilk
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0.5 cup vegetable oil
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2 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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1 cup hot water
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0.75 cup heavy whipping cream
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1.5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
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1.5 cups mascarpone cheese
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2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
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7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
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0.25 cup white sugar
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48 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo®)
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48 brown candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®)
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24 orange or yellow candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.
Combine 2 cups sugar, flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
Whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add flour mixture; mix until well-combined. Pour in hot water; stir until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly among muffin tins.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Whip 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in 1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, 7 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup sugar gently to make frosting.
Spread 1 tablespoon frosting over each cooled cupcake.
Twist chocolate sandwich cookies open, leaving all cream filling on 1 side. Place 2 cookies, cream filling-side up, on each cupcake to make owl eyes. Place a brown milk chocolate piece on each cookie to create pupils. Insert an orange or yellow milk chocolate piece in the center to make a beak.