This is a busy party season for everyone, but in my family, this is especially true. No sooner is Thanksgiving over, but its time to celebrate my eldest daughter’s birthday, followed within less than a week by my husband’s birthday bash. That’s why we have a cake theme happening at Making Life Delicious this week.
I made these superfun treats for my daughter Kate’s 9th birthday. I was inspired by Kim Ima, proprietor of The Treats Truck in NYC. A cupcake contained within an ice cream cone is nothing new, but Kim took it to a whole new level by incorporating more evenly-distributed frosting.
My philosophy is that cake exists primarily as a frosting delivery system, so I was most excited by her innovation. Want to know how she did it?
This picture might give you a hint.
At my 9-year old daughter’s request, I made two kinds of cupcake cones…yellow cake with chocolate frosting and yellow cake with vanilla frosting. These classic birthday combos were a huge hit with the 8- and 9-year-olds at the party. However, this delicious new cake-to-cone method could be used for many different cake, frosting and filling combinations from the simple to the sophisticated. Pick your favorite and go to town.
Festive Birthday Cupcake Cones
Print-Friendly Recipe
YELLOW CAKE
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large pinch of kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
VANILLA AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large pinch of kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
OTHER
- Ice Cream Cones (I used Baskin & Robbins)
- Sprinkles
To make the Yellow Cake portion of the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a half-sheet pan (13″ X 18″) and then line it with parchment paper. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, combine the self-rising flour, all-purpose flour and kosher salt. In another small bowl, combine the whole milk and vanilla extract. You will be adding the flours in four parts alternating with the milk/vanilla mixture and beating well after each addition. Flour, milk, flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. Got it?
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched, about 20-22 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool.
Mmmmmm. Now its time to make frosting. Yeah!
If you are making the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting…Beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and continue to beat. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, a big pinch of kosher salt and about 1 tablespoon of whole milk. Beat until spreading consistency, adding an additional tablespoon of whole milk, if necessary.
If you are making the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting…Beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla, a big pinch of kosher salt and about 2 tablespoons of whole milk. Then add an additional 1-2 cups of the powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it). Beat until spreading consistency, adding an additional tablespoon of milk, if necessary.
To assemble these cupcake cones, put a scoop of frosting and in the bottom of the cone. Tap the bottom of the cone to pat down the frosting. 
Then take a round cutter the size of the inside of your cone (for me that was a 1.5-inch diameter) and cut out a cake round.
Place in your cone.
Fill to the top with more frosting.
Cut out a slightly larger cake round for the top of the cone (2 inches in diameter).
Frost the top of the cupcake making a dome like an ice cream cone. Top with sprinkles because everybody likes sprinkles. 
Yummm!
Transportation of these cupcake cones is a challenge. Once filled, they are top-heavy. So if you need to travel with them, I suggest doing so in a popover pan.