Bubblegum Cupcakes (inspired by the Seattle Gum Wall)

Have you ever traveled anywhere alone?  Just packed your bags and braved it, to see what adventures you encountered? I did. Last May. In full on grunge flannel. To Seattle.  Right before my busy busy wedding season.  If it wasn't for Seattle, I am not sure I would have ever thought to make these cupcakes...

Gumball Cupcakes  (I'll explain later).  I packed my glitter in my bags . (I was pretty sure Seattle needed some glitter sprinkled on it). 

Why Seattle?

There are many creative legends here. Many start ups, many firsts.

Starbucks (I visited their original location and it reminds me a lot of the Cupcake Mansion-small, simple but charming).  Nordstrom.  Hard Rock Cafe.  The birth of Grunge Rock.  All of these innovators had to start somewhere with an idea. Like I am right now with my quest to change the world with cupcakes.  I wanted a vacation, but I also wanted inspiration. 

I was long overdue for a week of Napping, Donut Eating, Calamari Trying, Coffee Drinking, Clinking Full Wine Glasses with friends, Flower Shopping, Rockin' out to 90s Grunge tunes, Romantic Walks in the Rain, and Exploring.


When I was exploring....I discovered something pretty, fascinating and amazingly gross ♥

A wall full of thousands of stringy pieces of chewed gum.
The Seattle Gum Wall.

I have a horrible habit.  I chew my gum, and I stick it in random places (TMI)?!  It is both charming and annoying to those around me.  (charming because people are reminded of me when they find my gum and then they miss me).  So this gum wall...touched my childish gum chewing heart.

A Gum Proposal!!!! That took a lot of love and work..and risky exposure to bacteria :).  Now that is TRUE LOVE.  For every piece of gum..is a person. And a story ♥ Apparently a love story too. I even checked in on Facebook.  This gum wall created community in Seattle!

So when I returned to Wisconsin..you know what I did?

With my pastor Bob Adams right outside of my church Radiant Fellowship in Waupaca..  We created our own Gum Wall.   Our Wisconsin Gum Wall was featured in the newspaper ♥

When the gum wall officially launched, I made all of these "chewed" bubble gum cupcakes (that actually tasted like gum) to celebrate, as a reward to to those who dared to join me in sticking pieces of gum on the Waupaca Gum Wall ♥.  I even mushed up pieces of gum (with my fingers..not my mouth) to look like they were chewed and stuck them on top of the cupcakes.  Gross but fascinating.  Just like a gum wall should be.  My pastor named our church service that day "Hubba Bubba." Appropriate.

Whether you think it is gross or not, the day was filled with laughter and creativity.

...and the gum wall continues to bring people together in Wisconsin.

The glittery gum heart I left on the gum wall in Seattle.

..this never would have happened if I didn't travel solo to Seattle. ♥
Where to next?

Simple Recipe for your very own  Gumball Gum Wall Cupcakes:

**Your whole kitchen will smell like bubblegum!

Ingredients for the cupcakes: (makes 18 cupcakes)

1 box of white cake mix

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Packet of Bubblegum Flavor Frosting Creations from Duncan Hines

4 Eggs

1 3.9 oz box of instant White Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients for the frosting:

13 oz Marshmallow Cream

1 lb Unsalted Butter (softened)

1 Packet of Bubblegum Flavor Frosting Creations from Duncan Hines

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Appx 8 Cups Powdered Sugar

For Decoration:

You will need gumballs, assorted pieces of gum.

Method:

For Cupcakes:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 and line cupcake pans with cupcake wrappers.

2.  Mix All Cupcake Ingredients together in Stand Mixer. Be sure to remember to add the Bubblegum Flavor Frosting Creations-this is what makes your cupcakes taste just like bubblegum!

3. Scrape batter down as you mix to incorporate all of the chewy goodness.

4. Whip for appx 2 minutes.

5. Fill each cupcake liner about 1/2 - 3/4 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For Frosting:

1. Whip Butter & Marshmallow Cream together in stand mixer until they start to look fluffy.

2. Add 1 Packet of Bubblegum Flavor Frosting Creations to the mixture.

3. Add Vanilla Extract.

4. Gradually Whip In Powdered Sugar, continue to mix the powdered sugar in until frosting is stiff enough to pipe.  You can color your frosting in several different colors. I like Americolor Gel Paste in Electric Pink, Sky Blue, Electric Yellow, Electric Orange, and Electric Purple.

For Decorating:

♥Cut a hole at the end of a disposable piping bag.  If you want to have a really fat fun fluffy dreamy swirl, use a 1A Round Tip at the end of your piping bag.

♥Fill the piping bag half full with frosting. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of your cupcake.

♥Top each cupcake swirl with a gumball.  To make your gum look like it is "chewed" like a Gum Wall Cupcake, use chewy soft gum and mash up with your fingers.  (I guess you could chew it if you are sharing your cupcakes with someone very close to you. ☺)