I’m not sure what it is about summer, but it gives me the urge to make all kinds of colorful, fun treats. I’ve been seeing ice cream cone cupcakes for years and finally decided to have some fun with them last weekend. I baked up a batch and decorated them with all of my favorite ways to eat an ice cream cone – vanilla with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate with chocolate sprinkles, vanilla and chocolate swirl, and vanilla dipped in chocolate.
Much to my surprise, these were easier to make than I had anticipated. I love when that happens!
All you need is a box of cake mix (or your favorite cake recipe), a box of ice cream cones and the frosting of your choice (I link to my favorites in the recipe below). It’s very important to not over-fill the cones with batter… I made this unfortunate mistake during my first go-round. The batter overflowed in the oven, which made for some pretty sad looking cupcakes.
I found that after sitting for a day or so, the ice cream cones started to get soggy. I did some reading and found that a common recommendation for alleviating that problem is to use a toothpick to poke some holes around the bottom of the cone to allow steam to escape while the batter is baking. I didn’t try it, but it can’t hurt! As long as you don’t need to make these days in advance, I think you will be fine.
These would be perfect for a kid’s party or a random summer get-together. Go crazy with the icing flavors, colors and toppings!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a cone in each well of two standard muffin tins.
Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the box. Fill each ice cream cone with 3 tablespoons of batter.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Once cool, frost and decorate as desired.
Recipe Notes:
Note: To make magic shell, melt together 12 ounces of chocolate, finely chopped and ¼ cup coconut oil. You'll want to refrigerate any cupcakes that you plan to dip for at least 30 minutes (or pop in the freezer for 15 minutes) beforehand, so they're nice and cold and the shell hardens immediately.Nutritional values are based on one serving
I remember in elementary school (k-2 especially) these were all anyone brought in for their birthdays! however I think it was standard to bake the cupcakes in a mini muffin pan and then fit them into the cone after they were baked.. I remember my parents staying up all night to make these for me and my twin sisters birthday in kindergarten and it ended up a disaster!! im upset now that I couldn’t make these for my younger cousins to bring to school for their birthdays because of the new restrictions on bringing in food.
I’ve read a lot about these and most people say that the cones will go stale within about 30 minutes of them coming out of the oven and getting cool – have you not experienced this?
Hi Sarah, Mine were stale about two days later, but right out of the oven they were still crisp. As I mentioned in the post above, I read a tip about poking small holes in the bottom of the cone to allow steam to escape to help mitigate this issue.
Thanks for posting this!! A guy my mom dated when I was young made these for us kids (he had 2 of his own) one time, and I’d never seen or heard of them before or since!! I still remember how cool it was, though, and think about it from time to time! I may have to make some of these before the summer is out!!
The reason coconut oil works in this case is that it is solid at room temperature. I don’t imagine any other type of oil would work, you might be able to find it at health food or organic food shops. Or of course use pre-prepared magic shell from the store. Hope that helps!
Coconut will become liquid at room temperature if the room temperture rises…as it does in the summer. I do not have air conditioning in my home so my coconut oil presently is liquid at room temp.
What frosting did you use?
Hi Chloe, I linked to the frosting recipes in the ingredients list above.
these are the cutest ever!!! such a great idea! ;-)
Any ideas on how to store and serve these bad boys? I am envisioning a tip-fest trying to serve them on any sort of tray…
Hi Kimberly, You could definitely keep them in muffin tins or a cupcake carrier.
I remember in elementary school (k-2 especially) these were all anyone brought in for their birthdays! however I think it was standard to bake the cupcakes in a mini muffin pan and then fit them into the cone after they were baked.. I remember my parents staying up all night to make these for me and my twin sisters birthday in kindergarten and it ended up a disaster!! im upset now that I couldn’t make these for my younger cousins to bring to school for their birthdays because of the new restrictions on bringing in food.
It’s been years since I’ve had one of these. You are bringing me back to one of my best childhood memories.
Great idea, they look awesome! Did you bake them in a muffin tin?
Hi Lucia, Yes, placed the cones in the wells of a muffin tin.
Great! Thanks!
I used to bake brownie batter in the cones, cool and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious!
I’ve eaten these a few times, but never knew how to make them myself. Thank you for showing us! :D
Look gorgeous, it’s summer and al we need is icy cupcake, they are well presented
What kind of chocolate do you use for the magic shell? Semi-sweet?
Hi Alice, Yes, semisweet.
These are too cute! I have seen these all over the Internet. I think it’s about time I make them, too.
What kind of tip did you use to frost these?
Hi Alice, I used Wilton 1M.
I’ve read a lot about these and most people say that the cones will go stale within about 30 minutes of them coming out of the oven and getting cool – have you not experienced this?
Hi Sarah, Mine were stale about two days later, but right out of the oven they were still crisp. As I mentioned in the post above, I read a tip about poking small holes in the bottom of the cone to allow steam to escape to help mitigate this issue.
These look amazing!
Thanks for posting this!! A guy my mom dated when I was young made these for us kids (he had 2 of his own) one time, and I’d never seen or heard of them before or since!! I still remember how cool it was, though, and think about it from time to time! I may have to make some of these before the summer is out!!
These look awesome. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to make them.
Can I substitute corn oil for coconut oil to make the magic shell?
It is not easy to get coconut oil. Thanks!
The reason coconut oil works in this case is that it is solid at room temperature. I don’t imagine any other type of oil would work, you might be able to find it at health food or organic food shops. Or of course use pre-prepared magic shell from the store. Hope that helps!
Coconut will become liquid at room temperature if the room temperture rises…as it does in the summer. I do not have air conditioning in my home so my coconut oil presently is liquid at room temp.
Hi Helen, I have never used corn oil, but I know that vegetable oil can be substituted.
You could use shortening (Crisco). It is solid at room temperature.