Blake loves all things that are Spiderman, ever since last Halloween when he wore a Spiderman costume. And so to celebrate his 3rd birthday last weekend, Jason and Katie planned a Spiderman party for him.
Blake got to wear a Spiderman costume again for his party and all of the party guests were asked to come in a “super heros” costume or T-shirt. The Spiderman jumping tent that Jason and Katie rented for the kids to play in, is in the background. That was a big hit, all afternoon (for some of the big kids too!).
A week before his party, I baked and froze the cupcakes. On the day of the party, I thawed and frosted them. I like this recipe (below) because the filling is baked into the cupcakes, which seems easier to me than piping a filling into them, after they are baked. Everyone, the kids and adults alike, got the same cupcakes—only with different toppings. For the adults, I piped the frosting on top of the cupcakes and sprinkled mini semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top. For the kids, I placed a plastic Spiderman on each one.
These cupcakes are sitting on the base of my favorite cupcake caddy—which make them easy to transport without ruining the frosting.
I like to use two paper baking cups because the ones on the outside stays nice and you can see the design on them—and on this day, the design was important!
Here are the cupcakes that are topped with the plastic Spidermen. I found these at a Michaels store but coudln't find them online.
Jason is holding the cupcakes for Blake. His friend, Sophia, stands nearby. The one with the three candles on top was for Blake.
What’s a birthday party without gifts? Blake’s grandma Andi, gave him the one below. It’s a big box of plastic food for when he and I pretend to cook.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling
(I'd recommend using clear vanilla in the frosting becasue it calls for a tablespoon and regular brown vanilla turns the frosting a tan color. The tan looked OK with the chocolated cupcakes but I would have preferred it to be white for the Spidermen cupcakes.)
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Start to Finish: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups miniature or regular semisweet chocolate chips
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Frosting
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon clear vanilla
5 cups powdered sugar
1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 30 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and 1 egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips; set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and 3 eggs on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter among muffin cups (1/4 cup in each). Top each with 1 heaping teaspoon cream cheese mixture.
4. Bake 17 to 22 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan; cool completely, about 30 minutes.
5. In large bowl, beat all frosting ingredients on high sped about 3 minutes or until smooth and well blended, adding more milk by teaspoonfuls if needed for smooth but stiff consistency. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
30 cupcakes