For this recipe you'll need to make beforehand Basic Vanilla Cupcakes or Simple Chocolate Cupcakes. To decorate these cupcakes you'll need the Dora Cupcake Template, chocolate melting wafers, and paste food coloring, which are available at baking-supply stores. Make sure cupcakes have cooled completely before you begin decorating.
1 1/2 cups dark-chocolate melting wafers
1 can (16 oz.) prepared vanilla frosting
Brown and red paste food coloring
24 semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 roll (3/4 oz.) strawberry or cherry fruit leather (such as Fruit by the Foot)
1/2 cup dark-chocolate frosting
Resealable plastic bags
Step 1
Line two cookie sheets with wax paper and place a copy of the Dora Cupcake template under the wax paper.
Step 2
Melt the chocolate wafers in a medium glass bowl in the microwave until smooth, about one to two minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon the melted chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip a small corner from the bag, pipe the outline of Dora's hair, and fill in with the chocolate. Repeat to make 12. Place the cookie sheets in the refrigerator for about five minutes or until the chocolate has set.
Step 3
Spoon 1/3 cup of vanilla frosting into a resealable bag. Use the paste food coloring to tint the remaining frosting a light reddish brown. Remove two tablespoons of frosting and tint it a darker brown; spoon this into a resealable bag.
Step 4
Frost the tops of the cupcakes with reddish-brown frosting. Peel Dora's hair from the wax paper and arrange on top of each cupcake.
Step 5
Snip a small corner from all the bags of frosting. Pipe white eyes and light-brown centers freehand. Press a chocolate chip into the eyes, flat side up, as her pupils. Pipe a white dot on top of each chip.
Step 6
Cut a 1-inch triangle from the fruit leather for Dora's mouth. Outline her nose, mouth, and hair with the dark chocolate frosting.
