Butterfly Cupcakes

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These butterfly cupcakes are striking and elegant. The butterflies are made entirely with chocolate and taste delicious.

Ingredients

wax paper
Ziplock bags
dark cocoa candy melts
colored candy melts (whatever color you want the wings to be)
toothpicks
white nonpareils
cupcakes
buttercream icing
color tints (whatever color you want the icing to be)
chocolate chips
can chocolate frosting

Optional

piping bags (number depends on how many icing colors you use)
large star tip (number depends on how many icing colors you use)
couplers (number depends on how many icing colors you use)

Note

The amount of chocolate you need really depends on the number of colors you want to use and the quantity of cupcakes you're going to make. I made 24 cupcakes and used about 1/2 a bag of dark cocoa candy melts, and about 1/2 a bag of blue and green candy melts.

Directions

Step 1
First, draw a template for the wings on a piece of printer paper. Trace over the design with a dark marker, so it can easily be seen through wax paper, which you'll lay atop it. Cut out squares of wax paper that are slightly larger than the template (1 square per cupcake). Tape the template to a flat work surface.
Step 2
Fill a Ziploc bag with ½ cup of dark chocolate candy melts, and another Ziploc bag with ½ cup colored candy melts. Microwave in 10-second intervals, unsealed, massaging the candy melts in between, until the candy is completely melted and no lumps remain. Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove excess air and seal the bag. Cut a very tiny hole in the corner of the bag. The smaller the hole, the easier it will be to precisely pipe the chocolate. Place a square of wax paper over the template.
Step 3
Gently trace the outline with piped chocolate.
Step 4
Squeeze a small amount of the colored chocolate into the outline. Gently pick up the wax paper and tap it lightly against a flat surface to fill the wings. You can also tilt it to spread the melted chocolate into the corners. Just do so gradually to avoid overspill.
Step 5
Use a toothpick to create swirls in the wings.
Step 6
Add white nonpareils to the tips of each wing.
Step 7
Let the wings set completely. Repeat this process until you have enough wings for your cupcakes. The chocolate will begin to harden after a while, making it difficult to pipe. When this happens, just reheat (in 10-second intervals) until it's smooth once again.
Step 8
Draw the template for the antennas on a piece of printer paper using a dark marker. Tear off a large sheet of wax paper, then place the template underneath. Trace with the melted dark chocolate. Slide the template over and trace again. Repeat this process until you have roughly double the number of antennas you actually need. These delicate antennas sometimes break when touched, so it's best to have extras.
Step 9
Tint the buttercream icing with the color of your choice. Frost your cupcakes. Make a small line in the middle of the cupcake with your finger. This is where the butterfly body will be piped.
Step 10
Place two chocolate chips at a forty-five degree angle on either side of the line. These will support the butterfly wings.
Step 11
Stick the butterfly wings into the cupcake atop the chocolate chips.
Step 12
Place chocolate frosting (not candy melts) into a bag and pipe the body of the butterfly onto the cupcakes.
Step 13
Place antennas into the cupcakes at the top of the butterfly.