Who doesn’t love dessert that looks like meat? Sausage shaped jello, cake that looks like honey glazed ham, cookies that open and close like clams… I’m into it all. While these cupcakes are a little more on the normal side of your dessert meats, they’re equally exciting in presentation.

Since cheeseburgers are an American classic, these little guys are perfect for a Memorial Day BBQ or the like. But one of my friends was having a “Burgers ‘n Booze” birthday party this weekend, so OBVIOUSLY I had to make them for her. (Side note, this friend has an awesome burger blog that you should take a look at: http://projectgutenburger.tumblr.com). The girl likes burgahs!

They’re very easy to make, but are somewhat time consuming because you have to bake two batches of cupcakes. The time went by especially slowly since I was anticipating eating the leftover cupcake bottoms while watching “Total Divas” on demand: a valiant goal that I have since accomplished. This is an adapted version of a recipe from Duncan Hines.

Original Recipe: http://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/cupcakes/cabaker77/hamburger-cupcakes/

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix + called for ingredients

1 box golden cake mix + called for ingredients

2 cans vanilla frosting

Yellow OR red food dye

Green food dye

Coconut (optional)

Sesame seeds

Honey (optional)

Toothpicks

DIRECTIONS:

Bake both boxes of cupcakes according to package instructions. Do not line cupcake tins; spray heavily with non-stick spray. If you use the same tins for both flavors of cupcakes, make sure you wash them in between.

While the cupcakes bake, mix yellow (cheese/mustard) OR red food dye (ketchup) into one can of frosting, and green into the other. If you prefer, you can add a couple of drops of green food dye to a Ziploc bag of coconut. Shake it a few times, and you have your lettuce! Since I didn’t know if everyone liked coconut, I opted for using green frosting and a special lettuce-looking piping tip to create the same effect. Set aside.

Once your cupcakes are finished baking and have cooled, cut the golden cupcakes in half horizontally. Cut off the cupcake tops of the chocolate cupcakes. You may discard the bottoms of the chocolate cupcakes, or eat them, as I did. (Waste not, want not).

Put a small dollop of frosting on the top side of the bottom half of the golden cupcake. Adhere a chocolate top to it. Using a knife, spread on some yellow frosting. Use enough that it can be seen form under the bun, but not so much that you can’t see the chocolate cupcake (the hamburger meat). Once you have completed these steps on each cupcake, you can add your lettuce. Then, put the top halves of each golden cupcake onto the burgers. Lightly wet each top bun with your fingertips, then sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top. If you want to add an extra sweet element (though BELIEVE ME, ’tis not necessary), use a dab of honey rather than water. Skewer each burger with a toothpick.

Enjoy!

Leslie