Cupcake Buns + Brownie Burgers + Cookie Fries = One Happy Meal!
Or many…
I can hardly stand how cute these little guys are. You’ve probably seen them around before. I know I have. Cupcakes Take The Cake has featured cute ones. But, they are even cuter in person as I discovered this weekend. Oh my gawd… they just make me want to smile. I switched mine up a little by doing the burger out of brownies. But, you can just as easily make chocolate cupcakes and cut them in thirds to use instead. And if you want more realistic lettuce, tint some coconut (yuck) green.
I really decided to make these when I thought about making a meal out of them for Father’s Day, complete with sugar cookie french fries. I wasn’t sure if they would turn out, but I am so thrilled with the end result. Actually, I think the fries might be my favorite part.
Before I started baking, I made a template for a miniature paper box tray and french fry holder. You can download the 4-page pdf (636 KB) here if you want it. The pdf contains the tray template, french fry holder template (blank & with Happy Father’s Day). It also includes the design for the Happy Father’s Day tissue paper.
I printed the tray template on card stock
(heavier weight paper), the french fry template on vellum
(semi-transparent paper) and the tissue insert on tracing paper (really thin paper from Canson Art pad).
All three paper weights went through my printer fine – one sheet at a time to be safe. But, if you’re unsure about running the tracing paper through your printer, then just use regular plain white tissue paper.
Cut out the shapes as shown in the picture above with scissors or a sharp blade. Then fold along all the printed lines. Use double-sided tape to secure the flaps. Cut the tissue paper in half and place in the tray print side down.
Now, for the baking. Keeping with the fast food fun theme, I went all mixes on these. That’s right. I said mixes. For the cookies, brownies and the cupcakes. Don’t cringe.
You know I love learning to bake new things from scratch because it’s really empowering and satisfying and it usually tastes better, too. But, before a couple of years ago, I did all my baking from a box and really don’t have a problem using a mix. There, I said it. I feel better now.
So, I picked up several kinds.
The brownies baked first in a 13 X 9 pan. You don’t need any help there.
The cookies came next. I wanted to do rolled sugar cookies and luckily Mrs. Crocker offered some tips on how to convert the mix for better results.
Except I didn’t do the whole floured surface thing. I used parchment paper underneath and on top of the dough. Then I rolled it out with a rolling pin using rubber band spacers
attached to ensure an even thickness. This is a really handy trick and so not messy. I got these tips from the book, Cookie Craft
. If you want to learn more about rolled sugar cookies, it’s great.
See… perfectly even dough and a clean surface.
Here’s where I started experimenting, but it worked out pretty well.
Cut the dough in thin strips with a sharp knife and then a long cut down the center. The varied lengths are fine because you don’t want all your french fries exactly the same size. Remove the alternating strips so it won’t bake into one giant blob. (Reserve dough strips and repeat) Sprinkle sugar on top of the dough. Bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees.
These spread more than I had hoped they would for rolled sugar cookies. I know. I know. The mix thing. But, no problem. Just take your knife and cut each “steak fry” down the center for “skinny fries.” Do this right when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle more sugar on top while they are still warm, too. Lightly rub it on to make sure it sticks good.
And voila……
A big pile of fries. Yum! Try not to eat too many before you serve them. You can’t eat just one. Trust me.
Next up… cupcakes. I made these the next morning to spread out the work.
Boxes, brownies, and fries on one day. Cupcakes and decorating the next.
I baked 24 cupcakes using a yellow cake mix. I also exchanged 1 cup of buttermilk instead of the water. It made them nice and yummy. To test, I greased and floured one 12-cup cupcake tray and used Pam on the second. I wanted my buns to have smooth sides, you know. Well, they came out smooth, but also brown.
You can see what’s coming.
Yes. Yes. I made 24 more cupcakes. This time I used milk instead of water. No reason. Just to try it.
They were good, too. And this time I used paper liners to ensure the right color cupcake bun.
Now it’s time to assemble. Cut each cooled cupcake in half or thirds depending on how tall it is. Cut out 24 circles from the completely cooled brownies and place in between the cupcake bun.
I used my ever so handy graduated circle cutters
to do the trick. Size 2″ for uniform burgers.
Then… and this might be the most important thing.
Take a break and dispose of the scraps……
… You’ll figure something out.
Next up. Frostings.
Divide the canned frosting in three bowls. Two can have equal amounts for the mustard and ketchup. The third – a little more for the lettuce. The colors I used to tint were, Wilton Leaf Green
, Wilton Golden Yellow
, and Americolor Super Red
.
Perty!
To make the red a little deeper, use a tiny bit of violet when you mix. Place each color in a ziploc bag and snip a small tip off one corner.
Gently squeeze out the mustard and ketchup first. Then the lettuce in more of a squiggly design. Place the top of the bun on and press gently.
Now for the finishing touch. Brush a very thin layer of water over the top of the bun or either dab a few drops of water on with your finger. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and they’ll stick.
There you have it.
Brownie Burger Cupcakes
And Sugar Cookie French Fries.
A perfectly sweet meal for Dad’s day or any day.
And, if you use this template, there’s a blank french fry holder in it. Use it and you can serve these for a family cookout or Fourth of July party.
People will go crazy for them, don’t you think.
Man, that’s one good looking burger. So thick … and…
Tasty, too! Hope you like them.
Now, I’m curious. When it comes to mixes, how do you roll?
Use them? Refuse them? Or improve them?
Rave Reviews! I changed up the holiday to 4th of July as we had our Independence Day BBQ at work Thursday. Made 48, 1/3 with your liner design (but Happy 4th of July) and the other with 2 different 4th of July goody bags that I cut in half to fit in the baskets. I stuck little flags on toothpicks in the top of the "bun"! Since my last name is McDonald, I signed up to bring McDonald's Happy Meals for the pot luck…were they ever surprised :-)
LOVED making these. Came out so cute and they were even easier than I thought. Lots of fun. Thanks!
I gave this a shot for father's day and it was a HUGE hit! I'm a terrible baker, so I didn't expect that, even with the mixes, I'd have much luck. I was so wrong!
Thanks so much for posting this incredibly easy show-stealer! They're permanent additions to my limited recipe list!
Molly DiBianca
these look really cute! :D
definitely gonna try this when i'm bored. thanks (:
The fathers day treat is the most cutest thing I have ever seen !! So cute, makes me want to bake something fun like that. I love your blog !!
Kathy Jo Peterson
owner of http://www.raisethecake.com
Custom Cake Stands
Okay, so how much fun are you? You have got the most creative baking ideas around. LOVE IT! And I love how you share all your goodies. That's probably the best part. My soon to be 5-year-old daughter wants a cooking party for her birthday, so we're going to do the cupcake pops for sure and probably a few other ideas, too! Thanks a ton!
I made these for Father's Day with the thought "how hard could it be? it's just mix"… well, I have to say, it is adorable and they came out GREAT (thank you for the pdf) but oh my WORD! was it a lot of work! I printed/cut/taped everything one day, made brownies and cookies the next, and cupcakes/assembled the night before Father's Day. It was so worth it (it was a HUGE hit) but wow! I'm not sure I'll ever embark on another mission quite this big… tonight I begin the cheesecake pops… any advice before I attempt the crustless cheesecake???
I made these for father's day! They were so fun and easy. Thanks so much for the great idea!
SO FREAKIN CUTE!!!!!! Gonna try these for the 4th…
As for mixes, I always have some on hand. I prefer to bake from scratch, but when the baking bug strikes in the middle of two little girls, a job, a hubby, and a dog… A gals gotta do what a gals gotta do! I have a few tricks to make it taste better though.
But when you are doing something really cute and super creative like this, I think mixes make the most sense..
I use mixes for cakes and brownies, but always make cookies from scratch. That's the way my mom always did it when I was growing up, so I guess it just stuck.
I definitely make my own buttercream, because the ready-made frostings are artificially flavored and the last time I looked they had trans fat, which I try to avoid.
i use em…
i generally hate recipes that use those as a base and build bec if i am doing from scratch already imight as well do it all from scratch
Thanks for the great idea. I made these for Father's Day and they were a hit. The kids loved helping make these cute little burgers.
I found your blog awhile back and have made just about everything on here! I have always wanted to open my open bakery but keep putting it off..you have insprired me! There will be a bakery with my name on it in the near future.
I will be making the burger and fries for the 4th of July…I believe they will be a big hit!!!
I love this idea. I have ordered the cookie cutters and the rubber band spacers. I tried to go through the blog and write down all of the ingredients, but I was wondering if you had a list of ingredients so I can make sure I don't forget anything??
Julie
berryszoo@gmail.com
I was sooooo in love with this idea the second I got to this post that I had to do it! So I did, for my daughter's "Schools Out Pool and Campout Party" yesterday. You are welcome to go and have a look at mine too; I had to blog about them I was so proud! ;) I can't thank you enough for the PDF file!
They took a LOT longer than I had anticipated, and I'm SO glad I did the design and printing the week before. I did them as a surprise for my daughter, which was really, really hard to pull off. She was thrilled though.
Again, thank you so much – you're such an inspiration!!
Tried this out and they were a super hit!!! Sold over 2 dozen at our church bake sale!! (Although I accidently burned the fries so we just had burgers…but nonetheless they were great!) Thanks for the inspiration!
fake hamburgers. interesting.
fake hamburgers. interesting.
fake hamburgers. interesting.
fake hamburgers. interesting.
Where did you get that rolling pin?? I MUST have it!!
Fast food ! great , I love it .
Served them at our Father's Day lunch and they were quite the hit. Several people were a little freaked by the should be a hamburger but is sweet issue. :) They were too cute! Thanks for the inspiration!
LOVE it! I can not wait to try this! This is a MUST for July 4th! Thanks so much for the idea!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Your directions were so easy and simple! I made them for my cute family and as thank you gifts for my nieghbors and they were a BIG hit! I blogged about them and have had so many people call me and ask me about them! SOOOO MUCH FUN! Thanks for the easy to use directions and templates! We had a great day!
Nancy Smith – My email is in the profile link.
Just wanted to thank you for the inspiration to make this! I made one for my hubby, and one each for both of our neighbours for Father's Day. They all thought they were great (and you could tell they were floored at the time put into them!) little do they know it was all mixes heehee…
For the fries, I just rolled out the dough into a thin square, baked it and then cut into fry strips as soon as they came out of the oven with a pizza cutter and then added the sugar from there. no fuss no muss. Thanks again for such a great idea! It was a hit!
Wow!Wow! I love all your wonderful ideas and this is one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing the templates. I love to bake from scratch but don't mind mixes especially brownies and cupcakes. Personally, I think cookie recipes are just as easy as the mix and I can't stand the taste of store bought frosting so I make that. Thanks again for sharing your creativity!!!
With 575 comments, I don't know if you'll get this, but my sisters found your site and did this for my dad for father's day. They have a private blog (they are 13 and under) but they gave me permission to put their pics on my food blog, if you want to check it out:
http://krazzykuisine.blogspot.com/2009/06/fathers-day-fast-food-dessert.html
They came out so cute! I love your site, too!
I saw this on "Cake Wrecks" Sunday Sweets post and am just bowled over by how darling these are and your step by step directions and templates are wonderful !
Mixes do have their place and this is an excellent example of what can be done with them creatively !
Thanks you !
They turned out great! Thanks for the idea!
How can I send you my photo?
nancybsmith7@gmail.com
Ok, I have NO idea if you'll see this comment so late, but we made them. We also did "ice cream cones" (ice cream cone filled cupcakes with frosting) and rootbeer floats in mini-coke glasses! Thank you SO much!
I am seriously making a 4th of July version of these. I'm trying to figure out how to make hot dogs too!
This is the first time I have been to your site and can I say these Father's Day goodies are awesome! Thanks for the idea! We will be trying this soon!!!!!!
super cute. =) looks so real!
you amaze me! INSPIRATIONAL!
We did these for Fathers' Day.
They are beyond cute! The paperware is priceless and sells the whole concept.
Thanks ever so much!!!
PS Will you redo the "tissue" paper for the Fourth? I'm thinking of re-doing them and adding some corn on the cob made from your cake pop recipe.
I MADE THESE!!!
Super cute! They were a huge hit, my husband and kids could not believe their eyes!!!!
I will be making these again. Just need an excuse!!!!
I made these for my husband on father's day and they were a big hit with the entire family and a few neighbors! Not to mention DEEElicious! Very rich! Your instruction were perfect, making the entire process, well..a piece of cake! Thanks so much! For the fries, I bakes a big sheet of cookie and then scored with a pizza cutter while the dough was still warm. That worked out great! You can see here: http://nboysmommy.vox.com
I DID IT! I copied your idea and tried it this weekend. I think, for an ameture, I did pretty good. Not nearly as great as yours and I gave up with the printing and cutting after 11 trays (my fingers were tired). But you can check out my burgers and fries here: http://zilskin.blogspot.com/ .
I think I would use my own recipe for the sugar cookies as I struggled with the mix-but I would totally do it again. Too fun!!!
Oh yeah, I gave you all the credit:)
I made these for Father's Day, and they were a huge hit!!! I had to transport 40 of these mini-burgers so I went to Hobby Lobby to look for the little frilly toothpicks that the burger joints use to keep the burger together. I did find some multi-colored ones and they worked great! It also added to the realness of the whole ensemble! I love Bakerella and the ideas you share with us! YOU ROCK!
I am in love with this little burgers *-* I'm totally going to try this on my little sister b-day… Like a sweet happy meal wiht toys and everithing *-*!!!!
About mixes, I always improve them, i love cooking 'couse is something that takes time, that you can't hurry, so I use mixes and add little things, or made a mermaled to fill the cakes, or icings and fun decoration, etc. Once I added fresh orange juice instead of water to a cake recipe, and filled it once baked with a chocolate cream.
These are amazing. My daughter is going to try them out for a cake decorating contest for 4-H.
Just had to tell you these are so cute. I even tried them out myself for a Father's Day BBQ. They turned out really well. I even made some of them double deckers for all the dads in the family. Thanks for the cute idea!
I made these for a Father's Day potluck at church. They were a HIT!
http://waagefamily.blogspot.com/2009/06/fathers-day-hamburgers.html
THANK YOU!!!
I made them this weekend and they were a hit!!!!
And I use mixes all the time…they are fantastic and save so much time!
THANK YOU!
Thank you Bakerella! I made this for my family, and they were a HUGE hit! You're amazing!
Definitely improve them!
I made these and they were adorable. Everyone loved them.
This was such a fun idea! I made them for my husband and his dad and they loved them!! Thanks so much for all your fabulous ideas!
Oh – and scratch baking all the way! I hate mixes!d
I did this for Father's Day. Forgot to reduce the butter in the cutout cookies, so it was a bit more messy, but I loved it. My MIL/FIL got them, but they didn't want sweets! Sigh. I give up!
Uh. Dor. Able.
I made these yesterday, and here's my report:
1. I didn't have a circle cookie cutter, so I pulled the cap off of my cooking spray, and it was a perfect cookie cutter, and plyable, so it was easy to get the brownie out.
2. I didn't think I had filled the cupcakes up too high, but with a "super moist" cake mix, they overflowed. I used the cooking spray lid again and punched out the tops of the "burgers"… This left what really looked like onion rings! Next time!
You can see how mine turned out here:http://ohbrooke.com/2009/06/22/dessert-hamburgers/
Also, know that I am a complete cooking moron, and I ruin everything, but even *I* could do this!!! Thanks for the how-tos!
Ok, so I decided to make the fabulous little creations…and they came out just as that… FABULOUS! They were time consuming because I made 40 of them, but other than that, very simple!! I also dyed coconut green for the lettuce and it came out cute! They were a hit and very much appreciated by men and women alike at our Father's Day gathering.
Wow – I'm glad so many of you made these and put smiles on dad's face. I wish I could have seen them all.
Catherine – look in the upper left hand corner of the site
Kimberly, Dziugi, Alysia, The Fegers, Lorie, – All you need to do is type the phrase you want and repeat it over and over and over for the tissue insert. I provided a blank template for the fry holder so you can place your own phrase on those. If you don't know how to do that, typeset a phrase, tape it in place on the blank template and then photocopy it so they are combined. Then just cut them out.
Eve, Karen, Crazy Lady, Janelle, Lena, Michelle, freak girl – Thanks for sharing the links. Your burgers look great and you even made the boxes and bags. Fantastic.
Andrea – That's awesome.
Aly – Do it. They'll be great. I think you'll need less frosting.
Jenny – Nice pops!
Stamperlou – priceless.
Kari – I use Duncan Hines a lot, too
Sr. Mina, BSP – yep – normal milk will work. or just follow the box instructions. White non-pareils will work.
my friend made them too! http://kirstenmattanddanny.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-dad-is-my-hero.html
So I made the "hamburger and french fries" for my husband and his coworkers since they had to work Father's Day! They were amazing! So cute and tiny! They were a huge hit!!! I used tinted coconut for the lettuce and it look much more realistic but I don't like coconut so for my own I wouldn't do that. Such a cute idea!!! Thanks so much! I will definitely do it again.
Made them this weekend — HUGE hit. Thank you!!!
http://freakgirl.com/blog/bakerellas-burger-cupcakes/12480
I would love to try this idea! How do I do a gluten-free version of this?
Is normal milk okay to substitute for buttermilk? Or dried milk mix?
Instead of sesame seeds (they seem to break the theme), perhaps raw sugar crystals would be better?
I appreciate the help in converting this.
just wanted to let you know i made these darling burgers and fries for all the men in my life for Father's day and they were a HUGE hit!! thanks a bunch
also mixes are the best thing since sliced bread.
You never cease to amaze me, Bakerella. You know, I seriously thought those were French Fries!
I use them – and sometimes I don't. And sometimes I improve them. It just depends. Today, I made a lemon pound cake – started with a lemon cake mix and went from there. It was great.
We made these today. So easy! I made up all the parts yesterday, so today all we had to do was assemble and the kids all helped make them for themselves and Daddy. It was a really fun family project!
We did add the little container of ketchup to dip our fries in. The kids loved making them as much as eating them.
I made these for my hubby and my dad for Father's day! They were a big hit! My dad even said they trick your mouth cuz your eyes see a burger but it is sweet! They were so cute! And Easy! Thanks for this cute idea! :) Jen
I grew up on mixes and loved them, but now I only bake from scratch. All those preservatives and hydrogenated oils? No thanks. Plus, if I'm going to consume 20+ grams of fat, I need to work for it and really want it. Mixes are far too convenient. If I used them, I'd be even fatter than I already am.
Too Cute!! Made the burgers or dessert for Father's Day today. The kids had a blast decorating them; but I didn't have the patience (or the time!!) for the fries, maybe next time.
Thanks for the idea!
Made these today for Father's Day. The kids had a blast asking daddy to come to dinner again! Delicious! Didn't red dye so added red sprinkles to the white frosting…worked…looked like Big Mac special sauce! Thanks for the fun special treat for my babies Dad.
(oh got the fast food tray at Target in the summer stuff)
Mixes well I think Brownie mixes taste yucky. But I use cake mix all the time adding an extra egg and vanilla.
I made these cuties and gave them to my Dad and my husband from our children. They loved them, especially my Dad. He was SO happy! Thanks for the great ideas! I LOVE Bakerella!!
Adorable, just adorable!!! I made some for Father's Day and they turned out so cute!! Of course, not as cute as yours but still cute :) I just put pics on my blog.
I just made these today for my hubby! I loved making them! Yes they took some time, but gosh the final result was perfect! I had the whole family sit down for "lunch" and had hubby close his eyes while I "served" him. When he opened them, we all had a cute little burger and fries in these sweet Happy Father's Day papers. He laughed and laughed and laughed! We all ate them before we had our "other" lunch!
Thanks so much for the wonderful ideas!
thank you for this awesome idea! I am going to make these for a graduation party – I can't wait! I truly enjoy and am inspired by your blog – thanks soo much for sharing your amazing creations!! :)
Whoops I forgot to show you the photo link, LOL!
http://tinyurl.com/norgn9
My sister and I made these for our husbands, our brother and our father this morning. I thought I'd show you the photo if you are interested. The instructions are so easy to follow, and they turned out so well! Thank you SO much for taking the time to do this and show us (the baking not-so-talented) that we can do it too!
I made these for my husband for Father's Day and gave them to him when he got home from work this morning and he thought they were awesome…he loved them.
I posted pics of them on my facebook page and have gotten so many comments on how great they look.
Thank you so much for the idea…I love your blog.
I saw these over on Cake Wrecks for Sunday Sweets and I had to come check out the template. This is so cute and creative! I'm already planning for 4th of July!
You're on the Sunday Sweets edition of Cake Wrecks! Congrats!
Og my effing god! How CUTE ARE THESE??? This is the coolest website I've stumbled on in a looooong time. Keep it up! :)
Je les adore! Such a neat idea!
Made this for Father's Day, turned out soooo cute!! Thank you for the cute idea. :)
When I do brownies it's strictly from the box, but forr cakes I disregard the ingredients on the box and use 1 cup water, 1 cup mayonnaise and 3 eggs. I get a lot of compliments on my cakes!
ADORABLE! When I saw these… I had to make them! Thanks so much for sharing the templates. I made them for Father's Day, but would love to make for 4th of July as well. They turned out cute…but the color of your cupcakes looks more hamburger bunish to me than mine!! :) I will post pics on my blog tonight. As for mixes… I am usually a home-made girl…but I did use mixes (with a few extras added in) for all but the sugar cookies….those I made from scratch. My old faithful pillsbury complete book of baking has my favorite recipe! Thanks so much for sharing all of your amazing ideas!
Thanks for the details on how to make this cute idea! Great for parties.
hi! i just made these last night and my goodness, they are even cuter in person! i can't wait to hear the oooh's and aaah's! a million thank you's for all your pictures, tutorials, and instructions. they are greatly appreciated.
super cute as always :)
I'm a first time visitor. You have so much comments, I'm not sure if you'll read this, but I like your blog at first sight. Think I will return :)
I'm back to comment again…I couldn't resist so I have been baking and printing and cutting and snapping shots just to post it for a Project Parade at Verve Stamps blogspot. I hope I've done you justice and just recognition.
http://rainpuddlesdesign.blogspot.com/2009/06/its-guy-thing-verve-style.html
P.S. I did the cupcakes from scratch because I didn't have a cake mix on hand. The sugar cookies were from the same cookbook as the frosting which is my favorite from Pillsbury Baking Cookbook.
You have totally out did yourself this time!! Brillant, that's all I can say!
Oh my goodness! SO CUTE…all week I've been planning how and when I would be able to make these…I'm so excited for my husband to see it tomorrow for Father's Day! :) What a CUTE idea…and using mixes makes it so simple and doable…even with 2 little ones in the mix! :)
Here is our attempt at the darling little hamburgers and fries. We used Betty Crocker Brownies, Pillsbury yellow cake, canned frosting, and Betty Crocker red cookie icing for the ketchup. Thanks for the inspiration!
http://crazyladycooking.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much for sharing your idea and patterns/printables.
Did this cute project with 5 granddaughters today (with help from their moms) for a sweet Father's Day gift from them. So easy, fun and so cute! We haven't had this much clever fun in a long time. Everyone helped and everyone loved this little meal idea!
Wow. VERY cute! And so nice of you to share the template! Can't wait to use, and I really don't like to bake, but this looks like fun!
I just made these for fathers day dinner and they were a hit, especially with older teens!
Thank you so much!
I made these and got RAVE reviews from all the dads, grandpas, family members, and friends. They were all amazed.
Thanks for sharing!
I loved these! I have a 4th of July party coming up and I would love to make these for the party. How do I change the "Happy Fathers Day" to "Happy 4th of July" (or Happy Birthday) on the templates?
I've been making wedding cakes and all occasion cakes for 16 years. I always use mixes. (The only exception is when making pound cake for fondant-covered cakes.)I love it when scratch-only snobs assume my cakes are from scratch and proceed to talk trash about mixes. Hoo hoo, that makes me laugh – to myself, of course. It's okay. They just haven't been liberated yet. The trick is proper mixing and baking time. Most people overbake cakes. Also, I NEVER use any mix but Duncan Hines. Don't know why. It's just what I've always used. Happy baking!
I just came across your blog. My son's 2 year birthday is coming up and I think I am gonna try this for his party! I am excited. I am about to bake the lemon bars as well right now. Your blog made me hungry LOL. Have a great day!
Nicole
We're making these today. My kids are so excited to surprise their dad! I used a pizza cutter to cut the cookie dough and it worked beautifully.
Thanks for the FABULOUS idea!
Box mixes are great! I experiment a lot with adding extras or using egg nog,coconut milk, pineapple juice etc.. instead of water. I save most of my scratch baking for the Christmas and Thanksgiving treats! I just discovered your blog and love it-Thanks for the ideas.
I made this wonderful Father's Day treat with my 4 y/o and 2 y/o today. We didn't use mixes though, we made everything from scratch. It was so simple and I'm sure my Husband is going to love it. Thanks so much for having such a wonderful site. =o)
I just made some with a small semi-frozen cake I had made a while ago (chop, chop, chop!). Instead of brownies for the patty's, I used the leftover cake scraps and some icing with cocoa powder – a la cake pop style – and formed them into patty's. They looked so real!
My DH laughed when he saw them :) Thanks for the ideas,
Cindy
I love scratch baking, but with two small children and a husband that is gone all the time, we do mixes a lot. I try to improve on them, but we do use them. We normally use them for things that we are doing quickly or for a weeknight, but on the weekends or special occasions, if we make something sweet is is scratch baking all the way. I am gonna do the Father's Day fast food using the mixes though.
I am going to make these tomorrow morning. Thank you for the idea. I will be using fondant for lettuce and cheese because my Sweeties hates frosting… :)
I just made these with my son for Father's day tomorrow and they turned out great!! We used chopped nuts instead of seasame seeds and as we don't realy have sugar cookies here in scotland I made a white choc chip cookie instead!! Thanks!
P.S….
I forgot to mention, I overheard one mother telling her son that they couldn't buy one for the father, as he was a vegetarian!!!!!
xx
Hi!
I have just returned from my son's annual school fair, where I had supplied a batch of about 20 of these, wrapped in cellophane for them to sell on the cake stall. They charged £2.50 each!!! They went down a storm! Thank you so much for the indepth tutorial. Mine didn't look as good as yours, but they were still very well recieved!!
I absolutely love these! Here I was, trying to come up with a special treat for Father's Day and viola!! You've done it again! I'm definitely a box mix advocate. Too busy to do it all from scratch all the time.
after drooling over them for months i finally tried your cake pops! thanks so much for the inspiration!
you can check them out here: http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1397010.html
I am soooooo making these! I think I will finally get my vegitarian 5 year old to eat a whole burger!
I am a mix girl, with boys that want to help it is just less complicated and messy. One day I will bake from scratch and it will be lovely!
By the way my grad caps turned out great for Pre-K graduates! Thanks for the idea!
Just Amazing!!
I did it today b/c we're busy tomorrow and Sunday.
Thank you so much, LOVED them, and so easy to do!
http://www.thefegers.blogspot.com b/c I just blogged it.
OMG! So cute!!! You are one talented lady!
Our Father's day theme is gourmet hamburgers. I am in charge of the dessert (as always). I was going to make the cheesecake pops, BUT now this fits our theme so much better and is so dang cute!!
I am adding an Utahn touch and putting a cup of "fry sauce frosting" with each serving of fries.
Thanks for your great ideas, I have been in a baking rut and you have helped me out of it.
I love baking from scratch, but I have found a mix that gets more raves than my homemade cake, so why fight it, especially when it is so much easier!
My father's Day get together has a gourmet hamburger theme. I am in charge of dessert. I was going to make the cheesecake pop. BUT now these are such a better fit for our theme and so cute. I think I will save the cheesecake pops for the 4th of July.
I am adding a Utahn touch and adding a cup of "fry sauce frosting" to each serving of fries.
Thanks so much for your ideas. You are so creative.
I like to use boxes for the ease, but a homemade cake takes the cake ;)
I keep coming back to look at those fries. Delux!
WOW We are making these for father's day! So awesome! I have a cake mix but the brownies and ocokies will have to be from scratch!
THANK YOU for such a cute idea! and thanks for making the templates. I am making these now!! :)
these are the cutest things i have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These are just too cute! They would be great for 4th of July too do you have template in word to change the "Happy Father's Day" to "Happy 4th of July"?
I didn't read through these comments, so forgive me if I'm repeating someone else, but what if you added those little ketchup cups, filled with more red "ketchup"? Too cute, huh! You could dip those into the icing…er…"ketchup"! These are super cute, I'm making them for my daughter's graduation party. Only I'm putting "Class of 09" on the blank french fry holder in the school's colors. The kids will love them, I think!
HOLY CRUD! Right when I think you have exceeded your creativity you do it again!
? Jen
Love this idea! I made some last night!! Here's my blog post about my attmept with a pic from my camera phone. (I didn't have any other camera!)
http://zaftigcutie.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-attempt-at-burger-cupcakes.html
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful idea with us.
Mixes are great for little kids (4 & 2) they don't have the attention span for longer projects yet, however I do try to improve on them, these are AMAZING!!!
i think i cute idea to improve it is to make miny milkshakes like you get at steak and shake or sonic. That would add more of a diner meal look than just a fast food meal look. Then its like a sweet treat to wash down all the other sweet treats.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea. I am so doing this for our Father's Day dinner. When I saw this posted I was instantly in love with the cutenes of the mini burgers. The guys will love them too, of course, but they won't appreciate all the effort that goes into it. I can't wait to get started. Thanks for the templates and instructions. And yes, I will be using the boxed mixes, makes life simpler!
That is probably one of the cutest ideas I have seen for Father's Day! Thanks for the idea! Now I have to go pick up all those mixes! And I am sure I can figure out what to do with those brownie scraps!
These are AWESOME!!!!!
I found with the sugar cookies that if you throw them in the freezer, after you put them on the cookie sheet, for like 15 min., they'll hold their shape and not spread hardly at all during the cooking part! It's a little trick I learned from Confetti Cookbook!! :)
ADORABLE!
Have you ever made cake pops out of brownies and frosting? I am making some cake pops for a bridal shower. I got peanut butter melts and chocolate melts. I was thinking brownie mix would taste awesome! What do you think!?
oh my goodness!!!! when i first saw these i did the proverbial roll of the eyes and said "there she goes again" and instantly dismissed any attempt at these adorable goodies. but now i can't stop thinking about them!!! i think we are going to start working on these today as the key looks to be doing them in stages.
i HAVE to make my sugar dough from scratch…my 10 year daughter loves to whip it up, and so that will be non-mix. but the rest will get a mix work out.
hope these turn out at least as close as cute as yours.
thanks for the inspo!!!
Unless you go to a health food store, cake mixes are all hydrogenated. No one should eat this stuff, let alone feed it to kids, in any amount! Also I found a lot of cake mixes and particularly frosting mixes have beef fat or pork fat in them! Gross!!!!
If you must use mix, at least buy a health food version.
These are unbelievably amazing!! They look like an awful lot of work and like an earlier poster said, the Australian cake mixes are pretty dodgy…
Vanessa xoxo
Ii love your Photoshopping – the plain colour background and groovy font – just love it:)
This is a super cute idea!!!!! I wish I had enough time to complete it before this Sunday. Also, I love the way you make all the directions so easy to follow (anyone could do it, even me)
WOW Bakerella you totally rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wauw, how cute is this!! I'm definately going to make this for my dad on fathersday!
Hi I'm an Italian blogger, I see your blog now and I'm "fall in love at first sight!" I make it in my prefer! I'm sorry but I not understand a lot, because I don't speak English… I see you again!! Ciao
I can hardly wait to make this for my husband and kids! I like to bake from scratch, but with two small kids, it is not always practical. Rather buy a mix and improve it than buy something premade.
These were a big hit when I made them last night. Thanks!
I'm in college and love destroying my kitchen, so this cute dessert looks like the perfect thing to try. I'm thinking bake for my friends around finals or something for a little pick me up. thanks ^_^
I switch between scratch and mixes, the latter when I'm in a hurry or missing ingredients. I will doctor mixes like no tomorrow cuz scratch baking gives my palate a whole new level of goodness to strive for.
And I would also like to add that I am officially in love with you. I've seen my share of hamburger cakes and all, but THAT is by far the cutest and most novel way of serving it individually!
Sigh….
I LOVE these! So cute! I may have to try my hand at the "burgers and fries". Thank you for the templates, too!
I love cooking from scratch, but I also use mixes–for cakes and brownies, but I've never used a cookie mix. I rarely can leave a recipe or mix alone, though. I usually give it my own twist.
SUPER DUPER cute-gonna link it back
Love these! The whole ensemble is just adorable! ?
Planning on making these with my kids on Saturday. I'm printing the templates now – great job! We're so excited about this project!
Not to destroy the whole 'bake' theme of bakerella, but if using a mix isn't fast enough for anyone, we made the burgers all the time as a kid using vanilla wafers as the buns and chocolate covered peppermint patties as the burgers. and of course oodles and oodles of icing (homemade! ha! that's almost like baking!) for condiments and lettuce and such. these are absolutely adorable though, and the fries are a genius touch. they look perfect.
freakin awesome
Those little burgers are so sweet! My son is turning 2 in September so I will have to book mark this for his party. I can go either way scratch or box. I used to do all scratch before my son was born but now my time is at a premium so I do more boxes. I think as long as it's made with love it doesn't matter.
Too cute! :)
I have been decorating cakes for 25 years…and I always use cake mixes! I use a little less water and usually use butter instead of oil. I have found the key to a really moist cake is to freeze the cake after you bake it then take it out the day you need to decorate. Everyone always says how good my cakes are…I just smile and take the credit!
really creative .. looks tasty as well (:
hey lilia , i am from australia and when baking cuocakes or cookies foe my kids lunch boxes, i use gren mixes they always work out great but most of the time i use no name choc cake mix for 99 cents and add my own fudgee icing
MELISSA QLD
OMG!!! looks so real! now i feel like eating a burger! hehehe
thanks for sharing! its a reallie good idea. what wld i do if I havent stumble on to your blog? Life wld definitely be boring… and tasteless… muacks! will try to bake some soon. but I think daddy aint too keen on sweeets but I love it!
OMG you're so gifted…
Do you open a store or something? You must have been filthy rich bcause of your talent!!! :)
And I looove reading your blog… :)
Keep posting!!
XOXO Widia
Thanks for the instructions, I've seen this before but only for one great big hamburger – LianeZ
I am the hugest fan of those mario batali bowls.
Love this idea! Sent it to lots of friends and we all giggled about it today.
Too bad my dad doesn't like deserts that much, I would totally make this for him :)
I couldn't live without my mixes. But I always change them. When I make chocolate cake mix, I use coffee for some of the water. I also add in at least a few tablespoons of dark cocoa powder. And regardless of the flavor, I always add some vanilla.
I don't care for white cake mix, but I'll use it when I make strawberry coconut cake. I like to experiment with differen mixes. You can also buy them online from Hometown Favorites. I buy my mixes there that we don't have here in California.
I'm making these burger cupcakes this weekend! Thanks.
The detail in your instructions is always excellent; thank you! I bet these will make a great birthday treat.
omg soooo freaking cute! love it!
You are awesome! i love to see what you'll come up with next! Love these!
I prefer baking from scratch but have been known to use a mix every now and then when the occasion calls for it.
So cute!!! My husband has to work on Father's Day so I am taking treats for all of the men that day :) I'm sure you can guess what I'm taking :)
I use mixes for the cake but I doctor it up!!! Always homemade frosting!!!
Outrageous! I love it.
When I made the cheeseburger cupcakes one Halloween, I wanted to use brownies for the meat. But I burned the brownies to a crisp! Had to use chocolate syrup and a few crumbled "buns" to make patties! The fries are a great idea!
OMG- now this takes the cake- literally! Nice work. You never cease to impress me!
wow, those are so stinkin' cute!! i came in here to find some inspiration for a summer bbq next weekend. this just might do the trick.
These are adorable!!! I use mixes when I am making something where the focus is more on the design typically (like these little cuties) rather than the taste. I do make homemade however when I bake for my son as he is allergic to eggs and I have a great, egg and dairy free chocolate cake recipe that is to die for! Love all of your ideas…so creative!
I just love the idea of this sweet "happy meal"!!! I think it would suite perfectly for Valentine's day as well, or a b-day and I'd love to steal this idea for my and my bf's anniversary, I just wish I knew how to make the printable template that would say "Happy Anniversary" instead of "Happy Father's Day". Could anyone help me, please? Thank you so much!
You've out done yourself again with absolutely precious baking!!! Love it. :) I'm like everyone else: I prefer from-scratch baking and try to do it more but am not opposed to a good mix and/or frosting. Thanks for this post – it was fun!
Thanks for sharing the templates. Another way to ensure a deep red color is to start with chocolate frosting as the base rather than white.
I am totally making these on Saturday! I have some fondant I will colour orange and make into cheese slices and I don't have sesame so I think I will just have to gently tint the frosting off white and do it manually. I will be making everything from scratch, simply because if I keep store bought mixes in my house, they don't last long in the cupboard but stay forever on my hips! Safer to just do it by scratch because by the time figure out what I want, if I have everything, and the time its going to take.. I've come to my senses and had a fat free yogurt instead.
I made the "fries" this afternoon with my own sugar cookie recipe (it's so easy, I don't bother with a mix…no eggs!). I put the cut dough into the fridge for about 10 minutes and then put the raw fries onto a pan and into the oven right away. That kept the dough from puffing up much. No need to cut them after baking!
This is awesome!!! Can't wait to try this out – you are one clever girl!!!! Thanks for sharing :-)
Love these! Can't wait to try it.
That is the most adorable idea ever. It doesn't even seem difficult to make. Mixes are a godsend! Who really has time to bake from scratch anymore? The mixes taste so very good, like homemade. Aren't they just the best when your going to get company?
these are the most adorable things i have ever seen!!!
well than again everything that you do always looks amazing!
i love ur site!
These are the cutest things ever! Mixes rock! My theory is that it saves me time in having to measure out a bunch of ingredients and it always produces a consistent product.
Ok so before I came to your yummy blog today I decided to try to make some of MIL's sugar cookies for my VBS kids. I tried that dang recipe TWICE and both times got it screwed up and ended with a watery mess. (Don't ask how, I haven't yet figured it out.) So I dropped the goop in the trash can and whipped out a Betty Crocker bag. I put a few drops of vanilla extract in, pressed them with sugar when they were still warm and presto, yummy cookies from a bag. The husband comes home, smells the cookies and eats one. His words: MmMmMm I see you made Mom's cookies. I like these so much better than the bagged ones.
LOL, I don't have the heart to tell him, they ARE the bagged ones.
I'll try it.
My husband got a grill and i'm making him "grill master" apron, my son a matching "helper" apron, and our baby a matching bib. this goes right along w/ the theme!
So adorable!
I'm using mixes simply because the grade 2 kids I'm making them for don't care. Hurts my pride, buy helps my schedule.
I'm also making mine "slider" size – using the mini cupcake pans. 2 bite treats & not overwhelming!
These are adorable – you are so creative. I used to make these when my kids were little with vanilla wafer cookies, oreo cookies and shoe string potato chips. And I used green tinted coconut! LOL
Mixes are good for when you're short on time, and I definitely like recipes that spice up mixes (like a peanut butter cake made with a white cake mix). Then you also don't feel so incompetent, because you took a mix and did something interesting and creative with it. :)
Love it! That is one of the coolest thing of all time! So creative!
After 424-comments, I thought I'd add my 2cents into the mix as well. :) I think box mixes are great! Sorry, but it's true. Someone spent a HUGE amount of time getting that mix out onto the market, knowing that whatever the mix is (brownies, cakes, cupcakes, icings, muffins, etc) will turn out each & everytime. That my dear sweet friend is a wonder for peeps that can't boil water w/o burning the pan. Just follow a few simple easy directions & you yourself can be Betty Crocker. :)
Oh! I must say that I do use box mixes, but like to make things from scratch. Well, except for brownies. WS has an excellent mix for that. Comes in a burlap bag. Yum!
Love them!
I thought mixes were one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, no? We make cakes and cookies from scratch at our bakery, but at home I am a mix girl all the way! Leaves more time for the fun decorating part!
By the way, you are one creative woman. These are really cute!
these are just great !!! i made some as well!!! was so fun…….
I doubt you read all 400 + comments but just wanted to say thanks again! I made these tonight (well started yesterday cause they are time consuming) and I just LOVE them! I posted them on my blog http://craftychicka.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post.html
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Nefis olmu?.Tebrik ederim.Çok ba?ar?l? bir çal??ma…
Türkiye-?stanbul…
neriman.
I just want to say again that you are amazing! I made those red velvet balls….with white chocolate. Okay…not that fancy looking cause I kind of messed up a bit being over anxious and not waiting until the balls set first. But I drizzled dark chocolate over and gee whiz…I am going to be hailed a maestro at work tomorrow! I can't wait to get more proficient and THEN try one of those mini cakes. Cake decorating has ALWAYS been something my mother did…wedding cakes etc. But she passed away this past summer and I think I might just do her proud if I could be patient enough to learn the craft of making beautiful cakes. I shall try. Anyway…I love your site. I want to keep it a secret but I am not that selfish…so after I wow them at work…I shall share the source! Thanks again for sharing your site and tips so freely with us!!!!
We are so making these, and then I am putting in my April Fools day file for next year!! these are adorable – and I dont mind box mixes – especially when there is a lot going on, but I do like to play with the additions to get a taste difference… but honestly homeade is just so good!
you're creations are so awesome! i love your creativity. thanks for sharing your ideas!
Hi Bakerella!
Just had to post and say how much I looove your blog! I made these cupcakes today with my daughter and we both had a blast! Not to mention the hit that they were when we gave them away! :) Thank you so much for the amazing ideas and inspiration! I am not really a baker because my husband loves to bake so I usually just leave it up to him- but you make me want to try more! :)
Here is how ours turned out:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2801788&l=92d0668dd0&id=673996418
~ Dani
i came across your blog thru a friend of a friend who posted a link and i absoutely love your blog. you have inspired me to start baking again! you are so creative! i prefer mixes for brownies and cakes just bc it's easy and they generally taste yummy but when it comes to cookies they have to be from scratch.
I lurrve mixes but I improve them. "Cake Mix Magic" was the bomb for me! Lurrve.
I make hamburger cookies but definitely will try the cupcakes… you are awesome.
I refuse them!!
So, I made the hamburgers tonight – everything from scratch! It was a lot of work, but so much fun! I'll make them again for 4th of July, although work some more on the decoration. I can't wait to make the fries and boxes tomorrow! :) There's a picture of them in my blog if anyone's interested.
Cute blog :-)
so adorable!!!
and i don't mind mixes… :) definitely prefer scratch baking if it's done right but mixes are so easy, especially when you don't have much time :P
the mini "burgers" and "fries" are so cute! i didn't notice they were cake until i read your post! <3
Me too, the burgers and fries are relly cute.
I like to bake from scratch for a special occasion but will use a mix when I want something quick. I always substitute milk for water, add an extra egg and a little more vanilla. It seems to work well for me. I also sift the dry mix to make the cake a little lighter!
These are beyond adorable and I would love to try them for a cookout!
I would love to make this for our anniversary in a week! Do you think you could add a template for the tissue paper too (so I can change it to HAPPY ANNIVERSARY). My hubby's absolute favorite meal is a burger and fries…wait til he sees this. And our 4 kids could enjoy some too.
I use mixes when I'm experimenting…. lol.
But I never use premade frostings. I always make my own.
It's usually a matter of time management for me on whether or not I use mixes. If I've got a whole day, I'd rather make from scratch than bother with cake mix. Makes me feel more… accomplished, I guess… if I make my own.
Oh! I also made something like these this past winter. I made 'big macs' too, they were huge and nearly required a fork. lol I cut the white cupcakes into thirds and used the leftover bits for fries. Then I used red buttercream frosting for ketchup to dip them in.
Here's a link to the craftster post I put them in: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=286576.msg3247413#msg3247413
And the doubles can be seen here on my Facebook page, I'll post the public link. :] : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1754982&l=86f132562c&id=593535752
I'm trying your way next time. Your fries are too cute!
I made these! It was SO much fun and a huge hit at my end-of-the-year potluck at school! :-) Check out my blog for pictures! Thanks SO much for the idea!
You are very talented,
Love this idea! So cute and creative!