Cherry Blossom Fondant Cupcakes

I volunteered to make some cupcakes for an event...a decision that I always retreat after opening my mouth.  It's not that I don't enjoy baking, it's just that I never want to do it on a predetermined schedule.   While I considered making the SpongeBob cupcakes again as those were the catalyst for the ask, you have to be this cute in order to get me to make those again. Those were painful.

But in full SpongeBob spirit, I made more marshmallow fondant to attempt a bit of a copycat effort on cupcakes I'd seen at the bakery.  Soooooo much easier than the yellow sponge guy.

I really dig this marshmallow fondant stuff.  It's edible if one desires, can be popped in the microwave if it gets too stiff to roll out, and can be kneaded 100% of the way in the mixer.  As we know, I am all about that.

These cupcakes was just taking your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe and baking 24 cupcakes.  Then (here's the best part), you add the chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream

1 heaping cup quality chocolate, chopped

 Melt in the microwave for 90 seconds and then whisk to combine.  Poke holes in the cupcakes and pour the ganache all over.  This looks a bit watery at first, but once the ganache hardens, you get a creamy ganache surprise in each bite.  It also makes the cupcake super duper moist.

Lightly frost cupcakes with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting so that the fondant has something to adhere to, grab one batch each of white and pink marshmallow fondant (recipe here) and start rolling.

Using a cookie cutter the same size as the cupcakes, I cut out white circles to cover the cupcakes....

Use a teeny-tiny-itsy-bitsy flower cookie cutter to cut out exactly eleventy hundred small flowers. Dab the smallest amount of water onto the back of each flower and place three on each cupcake.  One chopstick, a poking action in the middle to press the flower into the cupcake and simultaneously create a center and you are good to go.  A bit of melted chocolate piped in the shape of branches, and voila, cherry blossoms.  Or flowers with brown stems and no leaves, as my coworker kindly pointed out.  Close enough.

They make me giggle.  Really.  And I'm not really a giggler.