Bear Cupcakes – with Royal Icing Transfers

Bear-Cupcakes-with-Royal-Icing-Transfers-via-www.thebearfootbaker

Are you ready for some cuteness? I sure hope so because ready or not here it is! Check out these cute bear cupcakes with royal icing transfers. I thought they would be cute when I planned the idea but, they turned out better than I expected. I think it because I love bears so much or maybe it is because I am excited that Template Tuesdays are back. Maybe it’s because cupcakes are faster to make than cookies. Or maybe it is because you can make the royal icing transfers ahead of time and have fun decorating these cute bear cupcakes with the kiddos.

Bear Cupcakes with Royal Icing Transfers for Quick Easy Decorating via www.thebearfootbaker.com

Whatever the reason, I like them. Seriously, cupcakes don’t get any simpler than this. You squeeze a little icing, drop on a few pre-made transfers, add some candy eyes and you have yourself some really fun bear cupcakes.

As you know I am crazy about bears. I love them. I live in the woods and sometimes when I bake cookies, one will look at me through my kitchen window. Yes that really happened this summer and I will tell you more about it later but for now, let’s make some bear cupcakes.

Supplies for Bear Cupcakes:

For the Bear Cupcakes:
Cupcakes
Brown or Chocolate Frosting
Bear Transfers
Piping Bag
Decorating Tip #233

For the Bear Face
Royal Icing
Tan Icing in a piping bag fitted with a #2 decorating tip.
Brown Icing in a piping bag fitted with a #2 decorating tip.
Black Icing in a piping bag fitted with a #2 decorating tip or  Royal Icing Transfers Noses.
Wax Paper
Tape
Royal Icing Eyes

Easy Bear Cupcakes with www.thebearfootbaker.com

Begin by printing off the bear template. This template is a little different than the ones I have made in the past. The pattern isn’t perfect but it works. Here, I will show you what I am talking about.

Cute Bear Cupcakes with thebearfootbaker.com

The ears on the template should have been full circles but I made a boo-boo. I don’t think it is bad enough to re-make them though. All you need to do is pipe the brown icing ears and pipe a circle.

Cute Bear Cupcakes thebearfootbaker.com

Give the circle a bit of a base. The reason the half circles didn’t work is that it didn’t leave much room to place them on the cupcakes. If you make a circle it will work perfectly. They don’t have to be perfect because they will be stuck into the icing on the cupcake.

Easy Bear Cupcakes via thebearfootbaker.com

Before the brown ear dries, add some tan icing in the for the inner ear.

Easy Bear Cupcakes via www.thebearfootbaker.com

Let me say it one more time, “Thank you, Heather!” Heather from Sugar Nosh Treats mailed me some turkey lacers to use in place of toothpicks. They are great for knocking down those pesky little peaks in the icing. It is by far one of my favorite tools ever!

Easy Bear Cupcakes by www.thebearfootbaker.com

Repeat for the second ear.

Easy Bear Cupcakes with thebearfootbaker.com

With the tan icing, pipe the muzzle. 

Easy Bear Cupcakes thebearfootbaker.com

While it is wet, add the royal transfer nose or, pipe a black nose once the tan icing has dried.

Easy Bear Cupcakes with Royal Icing Transfers with thebearfootbaker.com

If you drop the nose on and it doesn’t land exactly where you wanted it, you can gently move it with the turkey lacer or a toothpick.

Simple Bear Cupcakes thebearfootbaker.com

Ah, that is better. Now let them dry completely. It may take a few days so be patient. 

Cute Bear Cupcakes via thebearfootbaker.com

You don’t have to make all the noses the same. I think it gives them an individual personality when they are a little different.

Simple Bear Cupcakes www.thebearfootbaker.com

After your transfers have dried you can make your cupcakes and icing and begin to decorate. I didn’t make these from scratch. I used a box cake mix and a canister of icing from the store, you know, something like Betty Crockers Rich and Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting. If the frosting is too think to pipe the fur you can add a little powdered sugar to it to stiffen it up. I added 1/2 a cup and it worked beautifully. 

To make the cupcakes look furry, use the Wilton tip #233.

Simple Bear Cupcakes via thebearfootbaker.com

Hold the piping bag at a 90º angle and squeeze the bag until the icing comes out. As you stop applying pressure, give a quick little jerk to make the fur. Squeeze the bag and lift it straight up. I usually say squeeze and lift, squeeze and lift, squeeze and lift the entire time I make the fur.

Simple Bear Cupcakes via www.thebearfootbaker.com

Once the bear cupcake is covered, apply the nose.

Simple Bear Cupcakes by www.thebearfootbaker.com

Next, add the eyes.

Simple Bear Cupcakes with with thebearfootbaker.comThen, add the ears.

Simple Bear Cupcakes with www.thebearfootbaker.com

Before you know it, these cute little guys will be looking at you. They look kind of confused, don’t they? Or is this the first time they have been worried about us eating them instead of them eating us? I guess we will never know.

Remember when I told you I would tell you about the bear that was looking at me through my kitchen window? Now it’s time to hear that crazy story!

Not long ago, I decided to bake a large number of cookies to decorate for the blog since summer camp was keeping me busier than I expected. I wanted to make things easy and I thought by baking 10 posts worth of cookies was a brilliant idea. So I planned the posts, grabbed the cutters and got to work. I noticed something moving outside. In the corner of the yard, I saw a bear starring at me. I opened the door and banged a pot with a metal spoon and scared it away.

I finished baking and made a batch of icing as I was excited to start decorating. As I sat down at the table and picked up a decorating bag, I heard the garbage can being knocked over. I stood up to see what was happening and a bear walked by the window. It was almost rubbing its side on the house.

All I saw was a nose up in the air sniffing like a dog would do as if it was trying to catch the scent of something. Then, it stood up on its hind legs and was looking into my kitchen. I was face to face with a big black bear and I froze. Thank goodness I was inside and it was outside. I was only frozen for a second because I remembered if you make noise it will scare the bear and make it go away. It didn’t so I grabbed the phone to call my husband at the office to come and help me, but there was no answer so I was on my own.

I decided to get the pot and spoon to bang again. I grabbed it and the bear started walking away. Thank goodness. He was leaving without inviting himself to have a few cookies in my kitchen. I didn’t want him to come back so as he walked away, I opened the door and clapped and screamed and he ran away.

Maybe next time he comes over I will set up a picnic in the back yard and serve him some bear cookies and these bear cupcakes. Boy, I sure must be lonely in these here woods if I am planning a picnic with a bear.

Bear hugs,

Bear-Cupcakes-with-Royal-Icing-Transfers-via-www.thebearfootbaker
Lisa