Rider Recipe: Mane Event Cupcakes

Fall is the perfect time to celebrate the horse show season winding down with a barn party. Nothing is more fun than getting together with your barn family and having a little party in the barn aisles.

Here is the perfect treat for you to bring, and one that’s sure to be a big hit—Mane Event Cupcakes. These pony cupcakes are not only adorable, but they give you the opportunity to be really creative in decorating. Fashion these ponies to look like your own horse or others at the barn.

Ingredients

• 1 box golden butter recipe cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 box powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 4-5 T unsweetened cocoa powder
• Chocolate almond bark
• Chocolate wafer cookies
• Orange marshmallow circus peanuts
• Black Twizzlers
• Icing tips/piping bag
• Baking cups

Directions

1. For the cupcakes, you’ll need 1 package of the golden butter recipe cake mix, 1 cup of water, 1/3 cup of butter, and 3 eggs. Combine together and bake as directed from cake mix box.
2. For the chocolate cream frosting, you’ll need 1 box of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of evaporated milk, and 4 to 5 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Use an electric mixer and beat all ingredients together for two to three minutes until smooth.
3. Frost cupcakes after they cool.
4. To assemble the pony, you will need the chocolate almond bark, circus peanuts, chocolate wafer cookies, and black Twizzlers.
5. Melt the chocolate almond bark according to package directions. Next, dip the circus peanuts into the almond bark, covering the entire peanut, and set on a plate to cool.
6. Dip one side of a chocolate wafer cookie into the almond bark and place another wafer on top. Set aside for them to seal together. Once cool, cut off the ends at an angle for assembly.
7. Dip an angled edge of the wafer into the almond bark and place a covered circus peanut on top. Hold together for about a minute and then set aside in a mug so they can continue to seal together.
8. Cut a black Twizzler into strand-like sections for the tail.
9. Next, pipe frosting onto the peanut head, creating eyes, nostrils, ears, and mane. Using an icing tip for this is recommended. Get creative!
10. Make a small hole in the center of the frosted cupcake and insert the wafer with pony head. Next, insert the Twizzler for the tail. Voila! You now have a cute horse cupcake that’s ready to bring to your barn party.

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JENNIFER LANDERS blogs about equestrian lifestyle and trends at
www.velvetrider.com. She owns two horses, including an off-track Thoroughbred, and spends time volunteering at an OTTB rescue.