Berry Covered Watermelon Cupcakes

Right, these cupcakes aren’t baked, so I’m not sure I can even call them cupcakes!

But if we can call my tiered concoction of Watermelon and fruit Cake a cake, then surely these mini versions can be called cakes as well!

And yes, this is the only cake you will never have to worry about over or under baking, or falling flat, or require any cooling time.  This recipe is actually easier to pull off than the original Watermelon Cake, and easier to store and transport.  So I really think these little guys will make a great addition to picnics, BBQ’s, showers, anniversaries etc.

Creating the ‘Cake’ Portion

Depending on how many cupcakes you want to make, this will determine how large of a watermelon you want to work with.  For a typical large oblong watermelon, you should be able to create between 32-40 cupcakes.  So if you purchase a pre-sliced quarter watermelon, you will be looking at between 8-10 ‘cupcakes’. 

This will also depend on the size of biscuit cutter you use to cut out the rounds, and how thick you cut the slices of watermelon.  I find that around 1 1/2 inches thick is a good, easy to hold and decorate round.  Biscuit cutters around 2 inches or a bit larger is good. Any smaller and they don’t give you much room on top to decorate on.

But in the end, a bit smaller, or a bit larger won’t impact the final cupcakes.  Use the cutters you have, and don’t obsess too much.

Once the rounds have been punched out from the watermelon slices, place them onto a paper towel lined platter or baking sheet.  This is good for draining any excess liquid till you are ready to decorate and serve.

Obviously, leftover watermelon is great for snacking on, or turning into Agua Fresca, a superb summer drink.

Berry Pretty Decor

Gather together all the fresh berries, cherries, etc of the season for visual impact.  The acid green of gooseberries contrasts amazingly against the rich blue of blueberries; Vibrant shimmery red and white currants pop against raspberries and mint leaves.  The different sizes, shapes and textures all make for the most spectacular impact.

You will wash and rinse carefully and gently, and then place them all out on paper towel to dry off completely.

I wish I could give you the necessary amount required, but it will really vary depending on what you can find, how many cupcakes you are decorating, and how full you want to cover them.  Expect to use between 6 and 7 toothpick skewered berries per cupcake.

To start, I like to centre the largest berries in the middle.  In my case it was strawberries.  Local strawberries with the leafy tops are the best. You will use toothpicks to anchor all the berries to the watermelon.  You may need to trim or break off the length of toothpick, depending on how thick your watermelon rounds are.  Place one toothpick in the middle of each round, with enough exposed to push the larger berries onto.

Then start working out from the centre, skewering mint leaves under some of the berries before pushing them into the melon.  Be strategic, just to make sure you hide any exposed toothpick with another smaller berry or mint leaf. I find that taking the toothpick that I have trimmed, and pushing it gently into the side of a berry etc that won’t be seen is the easiest method, then gently pushing the whole thing into the cupcake.

To add the strings of currants, drape them around one of the berry-stabbed toothpicks and then push everything into the watermelon.  This will capture the delicate strand of currants, and they won’t fall away as you place the finished cupcakes onto your serving platter or tiered stand.

Advance Prep Tips

Yes, you can cut out the watermelon and place the rounds onto paper towel lined baking sheets in advance.  This can be done in the morning before assembling.  You can also place them into large Tupperware containers that are lined with paper towel overnight and stored in the fridge.  I wouldn’t let them stay in this state any longer though.

You can wash and dry the berries and place them gently into sealed containers and stored in the fridge till needed. 

You can create the cupcakes, fully dress them, and place them into large containers for travel.  Then just display them on the final stand or serving platter when you get where you are going. A scattering of extra mint leaves and loose berries makes for a stunning display.

How to Serve These Cupcakes

I had posted a photo of these on my social media, and someone complained about the toothpicks.  Well, I don’t know what to say.  There really isn’t any other way to attach small fruit to melon, if you want them to stay put.  Someone thought that maybe they would adhere with some jam etc.  While the berries would adhere to the jam, the jam would end up slipping off the watermelon.  So trust me, a few toothpicks aren’t going to spoil anyone’s day.  Just have a small bowl nearby for discarded toothpicks if you are serving these loose for nibbling on by guests. 

If you want these to be part of a sit down occasion, I suggest serving them with sweetened yogurt or skyr.  Just add honey and fresh chopped mint or lemon zest to plain or vanilla yogurt.  Spoon some of the sweet yogurt on the side beside the cupcake, and the fruit can be dipped into the yogurt and enjoyed. 

Final Thoughts

Don’t overthink this dessert. This is as much of a feast for the eyes, as it is for the tastebuds.  While the impact comes with seeing them, enjoying fresh bright berries and watermelon is just a rite of summer.  Just like the now iconic Watermelon Cake, it is a celebration of summer, but in the end, it is just fruit, all gussied up!

Seeing that this is basically assembly, not unlike Lego, this is a great dessert to make with the kids.  Just have everything washed, dried, and prepped.  Everyone just needs to wash their hands, and then have some fun assembling these.

Print

Berry Covered Watermelon Cupcakes

Visually stunning but super easy to create, these little fruit concoctions will make you the hit of your next BBQ, baby or wedding shower or Anniversary gathering all summer long!

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Keyword berries, greek yogurt, mint leaves, watermelon

Prep Time 1 hour

Servings 36 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 large oblong watermelon, will make approximately 36 average sized cupcakes, or up to 40 if using a smaller biscuit cutter.
• mixed fresh berries, approximately 6-8 cups worth for a full watermelon's worth of cupcakes, see Notes
• fresh bright mint leaves, washed and dried
• toothpicks

Sweetened Yogurt Dip

• 2 cups or more of plain or vanilla Greek yogurt or skyr
• 1/3 cup honey, more or less
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Berry Prep, this can be done in advance

1. Wash and dry the berries thoroughly but gently and lay out onto a paper towel lined platter or wide plate. Set aside till ready to use.

Watermelon Prep

1. Have two large baking sheets covered with paper towel set aside.
2. Slice the watermelon into 1 3/4- 2 inch thick slices.
3. Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter cut as many rounds from each watermelon slice that you can. If there are smaller sections left, you can use a smaller biscuit cutter. Place the rounds onto the paper towel lined baking sheets.
4. Once all the watermelon has been cut out, trim the remaining watermelon into cubes and store in a sealed container for snacking or juicing.

Assembly

1. Trimming toothpicks to fit onto the watermelon without sticking out too far, place a toothpick into the centre of each watermelon round. Place a larger strawberry or cherry onto the toothpick and push down till flush with the watermelon.
2. From here start building out around the strawberry.
3. To include mint leaves, stab the leaf through with a toothpick before securing a berry, below.
4. Using trimmed toothpicks, stab a part of the berry that you don't want to show and push it into the watermelon flesh close to the strawberry.
5. To include strings of currants, drape a string around the toothpick behind a berry before you stab it into the watermelon.
6. Work around till each watermelon top is covered to your liking. You don't need to be too fussy or try to make them match. Half the beauty is that each one will look different.
7. These can be stored as is on a paper towel lined platter in the fridge till needed. If traveling with them, place paper towel into large tubs with lids.

Sweetened Yogurt

1. To serve with sweetened yogurt, stir together the yogurt, most of the honey and the minced mint leaves. Taste and see if you want to add more honey. Store in the fridge till needed.

To Serve

1. Have a small bowl on hand next to the displayed cupcakes for discarded toothpicks.
2. If serving with the sweetened yogurt, place a dollop of yogurt onto a dessert plate alongside a cupcake.

Recipe Notes

Berries: strawberries, blueberries, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, cherries, all work great. You will most likely have berries and watermelon leftover.  These can be added to breakfast oats, smoothies etc.