These cupcake ice cream cones are perfect for summertime parties because they won’t melt. You can make them in any flavor you like, but these tangy-sweet pink lemonade cupcakes are a great summer treat.
Picture the scene:
It’s a gorgeous summer day. The sun is bright and your child is happy as can be, eating a drippy ice cream cone.
Then. the melting ice cream slides right off the cone. As soon as the ice cream hits the ground, your child’s face crumples and the tears start flowing.
But not if you serve up these cupcake ice cream cones instead.
They look just like the real deal, but they won’t melt in the hot sunshine.
I served these at our recent backyard beach party.
The kids (and even some adults) were definitely fooled!
Though these cupcake ice cream cones look tricky to make, they’re actually very simple. I just used a cake mix — jazzed up with pink lemonade flavored Kool-Aid — to make mine. (Be sure to check out the recipe at the end of this post.)
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How to Make Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
There are a few tricks you’ll want to keep in mind as you make cupcakes in ice cream cones.
The most important thing is not to overfill the ice cream cones. Only fill your cones about two-thirds of the way with batter. I made one test batch, which you see in the photo above, before getting the fill-level just right. I ended up filling the cones slightly more than you see in this photo. I filled them to the line that you see inside the cones.
To keep my cones from falling over in the oven, I placed them inside a popover pan. A deep muffin pan would work.
If you only have a regular muffin tin, cover it with foil and use this trick to keep the cones from moving in the oven.
Whether you use a muffin tin or a popover pan, I recommend using a rimmed baking sheet underneath to provide more stability and to catch any batter that overflows. (You don’t want that mess in your oven!)
One other trick: after you’ve taken the cupcakes out of the oven and allowed them to cool for a few minutes, pierce the bottom of each one with a fork. This will allow steam to escape, and it will keep the cones from getting soggy on the bottom.
Pink Lemonade Cupcake Ice Cream Cones
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix prepared according to package directions
- 2 packages unsweetened Pink Lemonade Kool-Aid
- 16 ounce tub of vanilla frosting
- 1 cup COOL WHIP Whipped Topping thawed
- 18-24 flat-bottom cake ice cream cones
- ice cream sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the cake according to package directions. Mix in 1 package Pink Lemonade Kool-Aid. Stir to incorporate.
- Place ice cream cones in a popover pan or muffin tin.
- Fill each cone about ⅔ full with cake batter.
- Place a rimmed baking sheet under the popover pan or muffin tin and bake according to the cake mix directions, until the cupcakes are springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Gently prick the bottoms of the cones with a fork to allow steam to escape. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the frosting
- Combine vanilla frosting and whipped topping. Add ½ package of pink lemonade Kool-Aid to mixture and whip to combine. For a tarter frosting, use an entire package of pink lemonade Kool-Aid.
- Use a pastry bag or cake decorator with a star tip to pipe icing onto the cupcakes. Pipe icing from the outside in, building up in the center, so it looks like soft-serve ice cream.
- Decorate with ice cream sprinkles.
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, don’t miss these other Kool-Aid flavored treats.
Susan
What a cute, fun, colorful party! I bet any little one would love this. 🙂
Kathleen
These pink lemonade cupcakes in cones look so pretty. They would make any party table look good. Thanks for bringing them to #HomeMattersParty
Kathleen
Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods
Now this is an awesome Summer Fun activity! Hopping over to add it to my Pinterest board!