Birthday Cake Cones

So after the family party, and the preschool party, we finally had Hazel's "official" birthday party last weekend - finally the end of birthdays for our family this year! She had a "park party" at the park next door so portable, non-utensil edibles were essential. It was the perfect chance to make cupcake cones!
The first time I'd ever heard of cupcake cones was when I was working in a middle school in Colorado. One day around lunchtime there was a hubbub in the teacher's lunchroom. The home ec teacher was in there making these in the microwave and handing them out to teachers for dessert - talk about fun!

To do it in the microwave, you make a regular cake mix and fill a flat-bottomed cone up about halfway. Put it on a plate or paper towel in case it overflows. Then microwave it on HIGH for about a minute or a minute and a half. Then frost and decorate. Of course, they turn out better if you cook them properly in an oven but the microwave trick can be fun for a rainy afternoon or playdate when you need something fun and quickly gratifying to do with the kids. Or slightly older kids could make these themselves! (I'm envisioning girly sleepovers at my house in about 8 years or so...)
But here's the recipe I made for the party. The cones become a little soft and chewy but the cake keeps supremely moist in there. It comes from The Cake Mix Doctor, and it's essentially a regular devil's food mix with some cinnamon to boost the flavor. And don't forget the Special Dark Fluffy Chocolate Frosting!

Cupcakes:
28 flat-bottomed ice cream cones
1 pkg plain devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Fluffy Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)
Colored sprinkles for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350. Stand cones in ungreased mini muffin tins; set pans aside.

2. Place cake ingredients in mixing bowl and blend on low for 1 minutes. Scrape sides and mix for 2 minutes more. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each ice cream cone. DO NOT fill more than halfway, or barely past the line where the cone widens. Place pans in oven.

3. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and cool for at least 30 minutes.

4. Frost and decorate.

Fluffy Chocolate Frosting:
8 T (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark!)
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
1/3 cup whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Beat butter and cocoa powder on low 30 seconds. Add sugar, 1/3 cup milk, vanilla and salt, adn beat on low until frosting lightens and is fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add more milk if frosting is too thick or sugar, 1 T at a time, if frosting is too thin.