Cupcake Cones with Buttercream Frostings

Well summer is upon us. Ice cream cones are popular this time of year, but they don’t last long in this Kansas heat.

Here’s a summer treat that’s just as fun but will hold up a little longer. Granted, it’s buttercream, so emphasis on the little.

These cupcake cones are nothing new but are a classic birthday treat. I thought it would be fun to recreate favorite ice cream flavors with the frosting. I woke up one day with this idea, too. I don’t know what it is about me and waking up with ideas for baking projects.

I started out by baking a chocolate box cake in 24 ice cream cones. You can choose whatever kind of cake you want. I used a box cake to make things a little quicker. Let’s face it. It’s hot out. The less time in the kitchen with the oven on, the better.

I wasn’t too consistent on how full I filled them using my cookie scooper. Some were about 2/3 full, others about 3/4. But some of the ones that were too full spilled over. But it did look a little like ice cream melting down the side. I baked them at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, according to the instructions on the side of the ice cream box.

Then I made a batch of vanilla buttercream, my favorite simple buttercream recipe I got from the book “Colette’s Cakes: The Art of Cake Decorating.” And I divided it up to make into different flavors. Neapolitan. Chocolate peanut butter. Mint chocolate chip. Cookie monster, a nod to Sylas and Maddy’s flavor. I left a few of them vanilla and added sprinkles and a cherry on top.

I let the frosting refrigerate overnight and then used a cookie scooper to put it on top of the cone to make it look more ice-cream like. I fooled a few people.

These cupcake cones are a hit with kids of all ages. Just ask my nephew and niece and my friends.

Buttercream recipe from Collete’s Cakes

1 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1 bag powder sugar (2 pounds)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Here’s how I made each flavor:

Chocolate

2 cups vanilla frosting

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Chocolate peanut butter

1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting

1 tablespoon peanut butter, swirled in with a knife

Mint chocolate chip

1/2 cup vanilla frosting

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

Drop of green food coloring

1/4 cup chocolate chunks

Strawberry

1/2 cup vanilla frosting

1 tablespoon strawberry puree (or I used the juice from frozen strawberries that had been thawed)

This one was a bit runny. It did make it more ice-cream like though.

Cookie monster

1/2 cup vanilla frosting

1/4 cup crushed cookies (Mini Oreos and Chips Ahoy are what I used)

2 drops blue food coloring

Dash of sprinkles