Football Themed Cupcakes

I decided to revamp last year's Super Bowl Cupcakes (I realize Super Bowl isn't for another month or so, but this will give you enough time to practice and prep for these little babies). 
These "Super Bowl Cupcakes" consist of: 
Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting and Gingerbread Cookie Footballs.
Please have a look at this video that depicts a fall day of baking Super Bowl Cupcakes in my humble home. 
Feel free to share with all who have a love for art, seasons and baking. 

Football Themed Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes for football lovers)
Simple Chocolate Cupcakes:
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa 
1 cup veggie oil
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla


DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix everything together in a large bowl on medium-high speed until you get a thin batter.
2. Line cupcake tin with 24 paper liners. Pour the batter into each liner, filling it 3/4 full. These cupcakes don't rise much, so its better to put more batter in, rather than less. 
3. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.
4. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack before frosting.


Chocolate Frosting:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup softened butter
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-6 Tablespoons heavy cream


DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix softened butter and cocoa powder together until it has becomes a thick brown paste. 
2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream to the butter mixture and beat until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth. 
3. Add more cream if the frosting is too thick. The frosting should be creamy enough so that it can be piped out easily onto the cupcakes.
4. Pipe about 3 Tablespoons worth of frosting onto each cupcake. Set aside. 


Gingerbread Football Cookies:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk.
2. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover and chill for at least one hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1/4" thickness. Cut into 1-2 inch football shapes. (All you need is 24 football shaped cookies, you can use the rest of the dough for whatever you'd like- or freeze the dough and reuse for a later date, like I did).
4. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350, until firm. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks.
6. Use your favorite royal icing recipe and pipe laces across your gingerbread football cookies.
7. Optional: color some shredded coconut with green food coloring for "grass". 
8. Top each Football Themed Cupcake with some "grass" and a Gingerbread Football Cookie.
9. Present them at half-time and impress ALLLL the boys ;-).