Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes!

Once upon a time, not too far from here, we used to be allowed to bring cupcakes to school on our birthday.  This was the most exciting time of year for me.  An excuse to eat cupcakes in the middle of the school day, and show off my mom's cupcake making abilities to the rest of the class.  I remember instead of regular old cupcakes, my mom would make cupcakes baked in Ice Cream Cones!!  How exciting is THAT?

I decided to recreate the Ice Cream Cone Cupcake this weekend.  We had a few friends over to celebrate Scott's new job, and to show off our house!  While I made a TON of food (and have TONS of leftovers), the most exciting thing I made for our company were these cupcakes. 

I have to admit, I did do these a little different than my mom used to.  In those days, we didn't get super fancy with the frosting - we just frosted the top with a knife....But I figured I would try and make these look like real soft serve ice cream, and I think it was a success!!

So here's what I did:

Ingredients
1 box of cake mix (I used Funfetti) and the required ingredients
24 flat bottomed wafer Ice Cream Cones
Buttercream Frosting (see recipe below)
Jimmies (or Sprinkles, whatever you call them!)

Buttercream frosting (from the King Arthur Flour Cookbook)
5 1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/3 cup Shortening
1/8 tsp Salt
4 - 5 cups confectioners sugar (I used 4 cups)
2 tsps Vanilla Extract
1/4 - 1/3 cup milk (I used 1/4 cup, plus a splash more)

Beat together the butter, shortening, and salt until fluffy.  Add 2 cups of the confectioners sugar and beat slowly until well blended.  Add the vanilla and half of the milk, and beat until fluffy.

Continue mixing in the sugar and milk alternately until everything is completely incorporated, and beat until light and fluffy

The Method
Mix the cake mix according to the box directions
Pour the cake mix into a pour-able measuring cup (it makes things a bit easier)

  

The cake batter, poured into a measuring cup, and all of the ice cream cones, ready to be filled!

Fill the ice cream cones about 2/3 of the way full with the cake mix (you don't want to over fill.  Overfilling won't cause the cake mix to bake upwards - it will just make a mess!)

Bake the cones by placing them into muffin tins at 350* for about 15-20 minutes (don't let them get too browned!)

 

Remove from the oven and cool

When cooled, frost and decorate!  I frosted my cupcakes by loading the frosting into a piping bag and swirling on top.  But you are the chef and this is your project, so have fun!!