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BBQ Grill Cupcakes decorated with modeling chocolate burgers, hot dogs, corn, pizza, and more.
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Grill Cupcakes
Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
 

Bring the ultimate summertime treat to your next cookout with these fun BBQ Grill Cupcakes! Featuring glowing frosting "coals," piped icing grates, and tiny modeling chocolate burgers, hot dogs, and sides, these cute themed desserts are guaranteed to steal the show at any Father's Day party, 4th of July picnic, or summer BBQ.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bbq, cupcakes, dessert recipes, grill cupcakes, picnic cupcakes, summer cupcakes, summer desserts
Servings: 24
Author: Beth Klosterboer
Ingredients
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) chocolate cake mix
  • Eggs, water, and vegetable oil (as called for on the cake mix box)
  • 24-36 ounces chocolate frosting
  • 16 ounces vanilla frosting
  • Yellow food coloring
  • 3 tablespoons chocolate cookie crumbs
  • Orange and red decorating sugar
  • 1 tube (or pouch) black decorating icing or cake icing
  • 6 ounces white modeling chocolate
  • Assorted food coloring, to color the modeling chocolate
  • Black food coloring marker
  • Optional: Silver luster dust and clear vanilla extract or vodka
Instructions

  1. Bake & Cool: Bake cupcakes according to the package instructions. Allow to cool completely.

  2. Base Frosting: Frost the cupcakes using the chocolate frosting. Smooth out the top of each cupcake so you have a flat surface for your grill base.
  3. Melt Vanilla Frosting: Color the vanilla frosting using yellow food coloring. Scoop some into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 15–25 seconds until melted and pourable.
  4. Create Fire & Charcoal: Spoon a small circle of yellow frosting over the center of one cupcake, leaving about a ¼-inch chocolate frosting border around the edges.
  5. Add Embers: Immediately sprinkle on some chocolate cookie crumbs, orange sugar, and red sugar to give the cupcake the appearance of hot coals and glowing flames.
  6. Repeat: Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all 24 cupcakes.
  7. Pipe Grill Grates: Pipe grill grate lines over the top of each cupcake using black decorating icing.
  8. Sculpt Mini Foods: Tint portions of modeling chocolate and shape them into mini hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, corn, steaks, potatoes, and pizzas. Draw grill marks on the foods using a black food coloring marker. For the potatoes, brush on silver luster dust mixed with a few drops of clear vanilla extract to mimic aluminum foil.
  9. Assemble: Use a small dab of leftover frosting or decorating icing to secure the modeling chocolate toppers to the top of each grill grate.