Moo Deng, a two-month-old baby pygmy hippopotamus from a zoo in Thailand, has become a viral sensation due to her adorable looks, hilarious expressions, and antics. Even if you aren’t, your kid might be one of many who are obsessing over Moo Deng and her upcoming 24-hour livestream. So why not surprise your children with a sweet treat with baby pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng as your inspiration? The cupcakes will turn out delicious and oh-so-adorable that your little ones might not want to ruin your art. So, grab your baking equipment and try this trending Moo Deng cupcake recipe to make your kids jump with joy. Also, don’t worry about the process as it is pretty simple to make with a vanilla cupcake as the base. You will only need some colored buttercream frosting to make the adorable Moo Deng come to life!
Ingredients for Moo Deng cupcake recipe
For vanilla cupcake
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅔ cup of caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ⅓ cups self-raising flour, sifted
- ½ cup milk
For buttercream frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups icing sugar mixture, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Good quality food colors — pink and grey
Preparation for Moo Deng cupcakes
- To make the Moo Deng cupcakes, preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with cases and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing constantly to incorporate well.
- Add sifted flour and milk in two batches, mixing until just combined. Add ¼ cup of batter to each case then bake for 15-20 minutes or until cupcake bounces back when pressed lightly.
- Allow to cool in tin for about five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream frosting. For this, combine butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer. Mix on low to incorporate and then beat on high until light and fluffy (should take about five minutes).
- Then, split the buttercream into two bowls. Tint one bowl of buttercream with grey and the other with pink. Adjust color intensity until you have the desired shades of pink, and grey (or basically till it matches the skin tone of baby pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng).
- Once the cupcakes have come to room temperature and the buttercream frosting is prepared, assemble them.
- So, for this, take two piping bags. Fill one piping bag with half-and-half of grey and pink frosting, and set aside. Fill the other with only grey frosting and set aside.
- Now, take your vanilla cupcake, and pipe one perfect round blob of buttercream frosting with a round nozzle. This will be the face of baby pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng. Use the ruffle piping nozzle to make her ear. Then, make her eyes with melted dark and white chocolate.
- Take the other piping bag (the one with only grey frosting) and pipe a smaller round blob of buttercream frosting on the first one.
- Then, with the help of a toothpick (or any sharp material), draw the mouth and nose on the second blob to complete Moo Deng’s adorable face.
- Lastly, sprinkle some edible silver dust or glitter to achieve the iconic super dewy glow of Moo Deng.
And there you have it, your Moo Deng cupcakes are now ready to be served and adored. These cupcakes will be perfect for your kid’s birthday as well. You can also use small dark chocolate chips for the eyes if you don’t have melted chocolate.
Moo Deng has become a viral sensation. So, it is no wonder everyone is cashing in on this adorable baby pygmy hippo. So, be a part of this trend and try your hands at this Moo Deng cupcake recipe for your little ones. Also, do let us know your kid’s reaction in the comment section below!
