Water For Elephants...Cupcakes For Pigs

This post is a little late but after my caramel hand incident, I have just regained use of my hand and can now type.
I was just beginning to make my cupcakes inspired by the movie and the book Water for Elephants, when I burnt my hand. (Since my kids are grown I will use any excuse to throw a themed party.)

I decided to make circus food instead of cutesy animals as my circus theme. With my hand heavily bandaged, I was only able to make four different circus flavors, Circus Peanut Cupcakes, Caramel Popcorn Cupcakes, Root Beer Cupcakes, and Pretzel Cupcakes.  If I could have, I would have made a few additional cupcake flavors like red licorice and cotton candy.
The cute circus cupcake wrappers and circus goodie bags at Michaels, and I made the popcorn wrappers with red and white striped scrapbook paper.
I loved the way they turned out, even if a little left-hand sloppy, and they tasted yummy. (Pretzel was the best) 

Caramel Popcorn & Pretzel Cupcakes:

I made the Caramel Popcorn topping the day before, and used chocolate cupcakes for both, for better time management. (Don't make the Pretzel frosting the day before or else the pretzels will get mushy.)

Caramel Corn
Adapted from allrecipes

1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3 bags natural microwaveable popcorn

Preheat oven to 250

Pop popcorn as directed on package. Sift through the popped popcorn removing all kernels, and placing the good pieces in an extra large bowl.

Heat butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Boil without stirring for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.

Pour over popcorn and stir until coated. WARNING IT'S HOT SO BE EXTRA CAREFUL :) Pour into large baking pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring ever 15 minutes.

Let cool completely before breaking into small pieces.

Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup milk
1 tsp vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Caramel Frosting:
From gimme some oven

Pretzel Vanilla Frosting
Adapted from Dorothy Tong, Food Network

8 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp cream
 cups of small pretzels

Place pretzels in a sealed plastic ziploc bag, and crush with a rolling pin, Set aside.
Cream together the butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream until smooth. Stir in the pretzel crumbs.

Circus Peanut and Root Beer Cupcakes:
The Circus Peanut and Root Beer Cupcakes were both made with vanilla cupcakes. The Circus Peanut Frosting was a plain vanilla frosting, but if I was to do it again I would use a Marshmallow frosting like this Food Network. For the ice on the Root Beer Cupcakes I used clear rock candy.


Vanilla Cupcakes
Adapted from Cooking Light

12 oz sifted cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cups butter softened
1 cup warm water
2 tsp vanilla
6 egg whites

Prepare cupcake tin. Preheat oven to 350

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl beat butter and 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar on medium speed for 2 1/2 minutes.
Add flour and water alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Fold egg whites into batter and pour into cupcake tin.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.


Root Beer Frosting:

1/2 cup Root Beer
2 sticks butter
6 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp heavy cream
several drops of Root Beer flavoring
Brown food coloring

In a bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar on medium speed until combined. Add cream and root beer. Turn mixer to high speed and beat until fluffy. Add flavoring and brown food coloring.

Vanilla Frosting
From Dorothy Tong, Food Network

8 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp cream

Cream together the butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream until smooth.


The Caramel Popcorn and Pretzel Cupcakes were especially good, and I plan to make them on a more regular basis. Well, I might have to wait a little while for the caramel trauma to pass.