So here's my version.
What you'll need*:
1 box of white cake
1 box of chocolate cake
eggs according to the mix
butter/oil according to the mix
water according to the mix
icing (homemade buttercream or 2 canned white/vanilla)
yellow, red and green food coloring (Wilton gel is recommended)
icing piping equipment (bags and tips)
I used a Pillsbury Golden Buttery Pudding-in-the-Mix box mix, and I really liked it.
So, you don't want to use paper cupcake liners. Instead, grease (do not butter) and flour the cupcake tins. It's a bit of a pain, but it makes several steps easier later on.
Prepare the batter and oven according to the box. To get really fluffy cupcakes/cake, I whip the batter thoroughly. High setting on your hand mixer and move it quickly through the batter to get lots of air mixed in. I like fluffy cakes. Fill the tins 2/3rds full-- remember to keep the cake batter off the stove! If you sit it on the stove** it starts to cook ever so slightly from the ambient heat. So keep the batter and the cake tins off the stove***.
While your cakes are baking, color your icing.
Red is the hardest. I wound up using about 1/6th of the gel bottle to get the color as bright red as I wanted-- stealing from Bakerella, if you put a touch of violet in the red, you can get it nice and deep****. Scoop it up and shove it in your piping bag.
You're on own with that one. I can do the piping, but getting it in that bag is an art unto itself. I'm sure that with practice, it'll look more professional. Or, I'll get smart and buy lined parchment bags so can't see the royal mess inside.
Keep some of the icing white. You'll need to use it as some glue.
If you wanted to, you could make the icing before hand and refrigerate it, but remember to take out about an hour or so before you need it to get it to room temperature.
Let the cupcakes cool for about 20, 25 minutes, remove the cupcakes from the tin and let them cool completely. Repeat for the chocolate cupcakes. Try to make sure that you have the same amount of white and chocolate cupcakes. I never get the 24 the box says. I must make monster cupcakes.
Now, set yourself up here. You want the cupcakes and the icing nearby each other. Use a bread knife for the slicing. It's going to do the best job without pre-masticating your cakes.
Slice the cupcakes: the white cake should be right in half, the chocolate one should be closer to the top, but not too close*****.
Now, take some of that white icing and slap it on the bottom half of the cupcake.
Place your chocolate "patty" on top of the bottom half. Start piping on your "ketchup", "mustard" and "lettuce".
...and lastly, put the top of the cupcake on top and Voila!
You've got a cake burger! Now I know that one is crooked, but I think it makes it look more authentic if it's not even. I've never managed to get a hamburger bun to split evenly anyway. Even if it's pre-cut.
To get the sesame seeds on, dip your finger in water and touch the top center of each cake. then gently dip your finger in the seeds and press them on to the top.
Now, you're done+. Enjoy.
______________________
*Wine optional.
**I hate that stove. It's been a year and I still want my natural gas back.
***Trust me. I have less than 4' total of counter space; if I can do it, you can do it.
****I'm cheap. I didn't want to shell out the $1.60 for the violet for 3 drops of it. I dealt with the not-that-deep red.
*****My counter isn't pretty. I didn't make those cuts. I don't know how people do this cooking thing without a cutting board. I could go on a tangent about this, but we're already in a footnote.
+Well, except for the pesky bottoms of cupcakes. You can ice them with the rest of the frosting, but they make great little snacks without the icing. Or... uh... I think they would... um... Yeah. I think they might. *burp*
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