All summer long we’ve been waiting for *DRUMROLL PLEASE*  Shark Week! I remember that every single year since I knew Shark Week was a thing that I would spend hour after hour pouring over the stories of these magnificent beasts. So even though I’m a day (week) late and a dollar short, I still wanted to share this blog post. We’re going to celebrate today with a few Shark Party Ideas, namely these adorable (and terrifying) Shark Attack Cupcakes!

*This Post Contains Affiliate Links, Please Read My Disclosure For More Information. This means I can earn money if you utilize a product I believe in that I’ve linked to. * 

From features of shark attacks over the past few hundred years to conservation specials I always loved watching the sun glint off their slate gray scales. Even though I love animals, I would always leave absolutely humbled at how calculating a predator they could be. It pretty much traumatized me into not even wanting to go to the beach if I’m going to be honest. Or any open body of water. But the reason why is linked to the immense educational purpose that it serves. When both my coworker and I can recite that bull sharks may transition from salt to freshwater without skipping a beat at the sheer mention means that Discovery Channel is being effective.

Now to be quite honest I’ve wanted to make cupcakes utilizing a gelatin globe for A LONG WHILE! Seriously, we’re talking near Halloween last year. But I wasn’t sure that I was capable. But now that it’s been one of my most successful shark party ideas ever I’m definitely committed!

You know the feeling you get when you see some incredibly beautiful dessert on Pinterest? You’re excited about the opportunity, but hesitant because you know; you’re far from a gourmet chef.

But it only took me a day to come up with how to make these Shark Attack Cupcakes. I’m honestly IN LOVE with how they turned out. Also if I can figure it out and come up with ingredients in my city within that same day – you can too!

I promise you even if you’re a novice baker you  are capable!

They do take more time than your standard cupcake. But they are so cool it’s absolutely worth it!

You can find most of these ingredients at a local grocery store & candy store (I used Candy Craze), however I have linked to them as well in case you’re unsuccessful in that endeavor!

Shark Party Ideas : Surprise Shark Attack Cupcakes

Creating the Gelatin Bubble/Wave For Your Shark Attack Cupcakes

So this was exactly what I was worried about. Because I’d never done it! But it’s not difficult as long as you follow instructions.

1. Blow up balloons to the desired size of your globe. We measured them next to our cupcake liners to anticipate how large we wanted to be. I’ve linked to some similar to the ones I’ve I used here.  Cut most of the tail off so they will sit nicely in a muffin tin. Then grease them LIGHTLY with cooking spray (I cannot stress enough how LIGHTLY you need to do it or the gelatin will slide off. They just need to feel greasy but not have open dots of oil on them).  Polish off excess with a paper towel.
2. Mix 4 Knox Original Unflavored Gelatin Packets with 8 tablespoons of cold water blending while using a fork.
3. Let it mellow for 5 minutes on it’s own.
4. Pop that baby in the microwave for 20 seconds (or a little more) to warm everything up. Just make sure you don’t boil it!
5. Put in 1 drop of Wilton Blue Food Coloring and mix!
6. After 2 minutes have passed  and you remove the nasty gunk from the top layer quickly dip the balloon tops in the gelatin.
7. Place the tail of the balloon inside a muffin tin to dry for a day.
8. After about a day has passed use scissors to gently pop the balloons. Delicately pull the bit of the balloon still stuck to the side of the gelatin globe. Basically they’re pretty durable but it’s much like pulling a sticker off of something so you need some patience.

I have provided a few photos below so you can understand the process a little better in regards to this Shark Party Idea.

This made enough for six globes for my cupcakes. If you want all of your cupcakes to have wave globes you’d need to multiply this recipe by four. However, I’d recommend doing four small batches to keep the gelatin from hardening too quickly.

I also learned that gelatin definitely has a smell. But the cool thing is it’s part of what makes the beef industry sustainable because 99% of the animal is used!

Baking Your Shark Attack Cupcakes

I chose to go with boxed cake mix for the simple ease. My mom explained that’s usually best with cupcakes anyhow so they aren’t too heavy. I knew that I wanted to create a cupcake that looked like sea foam. In retrospect, I think I should have used a darker blue instead of creating my sea foam teal to make it look more like the ocean.

I followed all of the instructions to make a SuperMoist Betty Crocker Cake. (As my sister mentioned, Betty don’t mess up much so she’s pretty fool-proof for new comers to the baking world).

Then I separated the batter into two sections. Next I used food coloring to turn the batter sea foam green.

First I put in one drop of red and two yellow drops to create orange. Then I added in one drop of blue to turn my batter a pastel sea foam green.

Here is what the process of making the batter for these Surprise Shark Attack Cupcakes looks like!

Then I spooned two to three spoonfuls of green cake mix in these nifty ocean-like cupcake liners. I topped it off with just as much of the white.

Next I took a toothpick and pulled the darker color out towards the surface to marble the cupcake batter.

After I baked them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes we let them cool.

I have always loved the idea of a pinata middle (or surprise middle) and I wanted the inside of my cupcakes to look a little bloody as a surprise when you bite into them. So I used the Star Tip in the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set to pull out a pillar out of the center. Then I used the funnel tube to pour in some shiny red decorating sugar!

Decorating Your Shark Attack Cupcakes

I recommend doing this after you have created the gelatin globes the day before. That way you just get to do the fun part of decorating the following day!

I know you can make your own buttercream icing. But it didn’t happen.

I purchased a can of store-bought Pillsbury Creamy Supreme White Frosting. I wanted to make sure that I could make wave-like icing and felt like this gave me a lot to play with!

After placing a generous amount of icing on each cupcake I plopped a little sparkle gel near the perimeter. Then I used the back of my spoon with a sweeping upward motion to blend them into waves!

Here’s a detail shot of how they looked afterwards!

For the cupcakes that had the globes I first placed one large shark gummy and then a smaller one in the globe. You had to let them find their bearing where they were pretty balanced.

I love that the gelatin looks a little wav-y too with how it drips!!!!

Then I placed them on the tops of my cupcakes. Finally I used a dab of red food coloring to paint blood on the shark’s snouts and also to trail down from the top of the globe near the back. I blew on it to distribute it as it was pretty thick! My little sister and I came up with this concept and a few others in regards to these shark party ideas. This seemed the simplest to execute, and the red food coloring made it a little funner!

For the cupcakes sans globe I used a toothpick inserted near the base of the tail to bet the large gummy shark to wrap around and then placed the baby gummy shark alongside it.

This was absolutely one of my favorite Shark Party Ideas. Next year stay tuned for all the great makings of a Shark Week Party; I’m talking centerpieces, favors, etc!

Wa-lah!

I know these weren’t the easiest to make but you know what? So worth it! Will definitely use gelatin again in conjunction to take my baking up a notch!

Did you have a shark week party? What are some of your favorite Shark Party Ideas?

Thanks for reading!

Lauren

Shark Party Ideas: Shark Attack Cupcakes

*Please note, this recipe will make 24 cupcakes but is only prepared for 6 gelatin globes. I wanted to make sure they came out well since it was the first time I’d utilized them. To have enough materials to place a globe on all cupcakes simply purchase 24 balloons and four boxes of Knox Original Gelatin packets each containing 4 envelopes.

Ingredients & Materials

• Shark Gummies (Large & Small)
• Wilton Sparkle Gel
• 4 Envelopes of Knox Original Gelatin Packets
• 6 Balloons
• Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set
• Wilton Gel Food Colors
• Decorating Sugar
• Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix
• 1 1/4 Cups Water
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 3 Whole Eggs
• White Icing
• Shiny Blue Cupcake Liners
• Toothpick
• Scissors

Instructions

Creating the Gelatin Bubble

1. Blow up balloons to the desired size of your globe. Cut most of the tail off so they will sit nicely in a muffin tin. Grease them lightly & wipe any excess grease off with a paper towel.
2. Mix 4 Knox Original Unflavored Gelatin Packets with 8 tablespoons of cold water blending while using a fork.
3. Set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Microwave for 20 seconds (or a little more, just don’t boil it)!
5. Add 1 drop of Wilton Blue Food Coloring and mix!
6. Wait 2 minutes and remove the nasty gunk from the top layer and quickly dip the balloon tops in the gelatin.
7. Place the tail of the balloon inside a muffin tin for a day so the gelatin globe will dry.
8. After about a day has passed use scissors to gently pop the balloons. Delicately pull the bit of the balloon still stuck to the side of the gelatin globe.

Baking Your Shark Attack Cupcakes

1. Follow instructions on the SuperMoist Betty Crocker Cake box to make cake batter.
2. Separate batter into two separate bowls.
3. Color the batter in one bowl sea foam green (mix 2 drops of yellow and 1 drop of red food coloring followed by 1 drop of blue once mixed)
4. Spoon in the sea foam green (or darker cake batter) into a cupcake liner until 1/3rd full.
5. Fill next third with lighter cake batter.
6. Pull darker color to top with a toothpick to marble (NOT MIX).
7. Bake for desired time (14-19 minutes) and temperature according to type of pan (shiny, 350 degrees Fahrenheit or dark, 325 degrees Fahrenheit).
8. Let cool substantially.
9. Utilize Star Tip in Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set to remove cupcake core.
10. Utilize Filling Tip in Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set to fill cupcake core with Red Decorating Sugar for a Surprise!

Decorating Your Shark Attack Cupcakes

1. Ice generously with white icing to cover the top of the cupcake.
2. Place a few dots of Blue Wilton Sparkle Gel around the perimeter of the cupcake.
3. Use a spoon to draw upward and create wave texture.
4. Place shark gummies in gelatin globes to see how they balance naturally.
5. Place globe on top of wave icing.
6. Dab on red food coloring near the shark’s mouths and at the top of the globe.

Enjoy!