Drop of Disney

Happy Friday! This week, The Muppets Christmas Carol is celebrating it’s 30th anniversary! To celebrate this beloved film, I’m excited to share Rizzo’s “Here for the Food” Christmas Cupcakes. Inspired by Rizzo’s opening line from the film, these chocolate spice cupcakes are decorated with a traditional buttercream Christmas wreath and a fondant Rizzo!

The Muppets Christmas Carol is certainly a classic and well loved Christmas film and I couldn’t resist a bake celebrating it this week. One of the things I love about the film is the mix of The Muppets comedy and classic elements of an English Christmas. Since I live in NYC, I also have a soft spot for Rizzo and so I combined all of these elements in my bake.

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A Christmas pudding or fruitcake is a classic British Christmas dessert; however, it’s not one I particularly enjoy. So for these cupcakes, I took inspiration from the spices used in fruitcakes to create these chocolate spice cupcakes. Mixed with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, these chocolate cupcakes are a warm and inviting treat.

To make the cupcakes, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until well-mixed. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Scoop the batter into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For these cupcakes, I used my favorite parchment cupcake liners, but you could use any kind that you have! Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. 

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream frosting by beating the butter until creamy. On low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar. Once combined, mix in the vanilla. Then, add the milk and beat on high speed until fluffy.

Place a couple scoops of buttercream to a medium bowl. Set aside. Place a scoop of buttercream into a small bowl. Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip (Wilton #3 or #4). Add a few drops of green food coloring the remaining buttercream and mix until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (Wilton #199). For these colors, I used the red and green from Wilton’s gel food color set.

To make a fondant Rizzo head, first shape a small ball of dark brown fondant into a rat shaped head. Then, place a small ball of black fondant on the end of the snout to make a nose. Shape two half circle pieces of dark brown fondant to make rat ears. Add a layer of peach fondant inside the ears. Gently press them into the top sides of the head. Finally, press two sprinkle eyes into the head. Set aside until ready to decorate. For the fondant heads, I used the fondant colors from Wilton’s Natural Skin Tone Fondant Set.

Now it’s time to assemble the cupcakes! If needed, use a serrated knife to trim the tops of the cupcakes off so that the cupcakes have flat tops. 

First, use an offset spatula to spread a layer of white buttercream onto all of the cupcakes. Then use the green icing to pipe stars around the edge of the tops to make a wreath shape. Finally, pipe a small bow on top of the green frosting stars at the bottom of the wreath. Add sprinkles to the wreath as desired. I used a mix of Wilton’s Christmas sprinkle pearls that I found a few years ago. It’s similar to this mix. If adding Rizzo, place the fondant head in the center of the wreath.

Enjoy Rizzo’s “Here for the Food” Cupcakes! Happy 30th Anniversary The Muppets Christmas Carol!

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Rizzo’s “Here for the Food” Christmas Cupcakes

Rizzo's "Here for the Food" Christmas Cupcakes are chocolate spice cupcakes decorated with a traditional buttercream Christmas wreath and a fondant Rizzo!

Course Dessert

Keyword Christmas Carol, Christmas Wreath, The Muppets

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup boiling water

Buttercream Frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons milk

Decorations

• Round/ball sprinkles in various colors (white, red, gold, etc.)
• brown, black, peach fondant, optional

Equipment

• muffin pan
• cupcake liners
• piping bags
• small round piping tip
• star piping tip (Wilton #199)

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well-mixed.
5. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
6. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

1. Beat the butter until creamy.
2. On low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar.
3. Mix in the vanilla.
4. Add the milk and beat on high speed until fluffy.
5. Place a couple scoops of buttercream to a medium bowl. Set aside.
6. Place a scoop of buttercream into a small bowl. Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip.
7. Add a few drops of green food coloring the remaining buttercream and mix until well combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (Wilton #199).

Fondant Rizzo

1. Shape a small ball of dark brown fondant into a rat shaped head.
2. Place a small ball of black fondant on the end of the snout to make a nose.
3. Shape two half circle pieces of dark brown fondant to make rat ears. Add a layer of peach fondant inside the ears. Gently press them into the top sides of the head.
4. Press two sprinkle eyes into the head.
5. Set aside until ready to decorate.

Assembly

1. If needed, use a serrated knife to trim the tops of the cupcakes off so that the cupcakes have flat tops.
2. Use an offset spatula to spread a layer of white buttercream onto all of the cupcakes.
3. Using the green icing, pipe stars around the edge of the tops to make a wreath shape.
4. Pipe a small bow on top of the green frosting stars at the bottom of the wreath.
5. Add sprinkles to the wreath as desired.
6. If adding Rizzo, place the fondant head in the center of the wreath.