The "Fun" In "Funfetti!" Cake Batter Cupcakes!

What can you think of that compares to eating cake batter?

If you think about it, your typical white cupcakes don't even taste like cake batter.

And there is always some special memory of a woman in your life involved with eating cake batter because she'll always lick the bowl with you while she's baking (whether it's your mom, grandma, BFF, or wifey).

I'll reveal a secret here.  (My favorite thing about baking cupcakes is sampling the batter.  I was born a rebellious spatula licking cake batter lover, even after all the warnings about salmonella. And I'm pretty healthy)!

What's even better than cake batter alone....

Sprinkles and Cake Batter!

Cake Batter=Fun

Sprinkles + Cake Batter=Funfetti! ♥

(I think I even just somehow managed to make math fun).

This cupcake goes out to you, my fellow cake batter lovers.

Yay!

Cupcakes that taste like cake batter.

The secret is really in the frosting more than anything else.  I poured half a bag of Pillsbury White Cake Mix in the frosting blend. It was that easy. You can do it too. Now my mind is running away with me because this adventure made me realize that the grocery store aisles could be *full* of things to mix in frosting. Oh my. 

There's a cheesecake filling inside of the cupcake that resembles the texture of cake batter. 

And sprinkles..of course!

The cool thing about this recipe.. is that you can make many things. Cupcakes, Cakes, Cake Pops.  

I even made this giant cupcake with a cupcake liner of sprinkles to celebrate a special birthday♥

This recipe is for more nostalgic moments in the kitchen.  

Please don't forget to add sparkles! ♥♥♥♥

Cake Batter Cupcakes Recipe:

(this one's easy, you will be a cake mix doctor)

1 Box Pillsbury or Duncan Hines Cake Mix

1 1/2 Cups of Buttermilk in place of water

4 Eggs

1 (4 oz) box of White Chocolate Pudding

1 tsp almond extract

1/3 Cup of Vegetable Oil

2 Cups of Multi-Colored Sprinkles

1.  Line your Cupcake Pans with 18 Cupcake Liners

2.  Preheat oven to 325.

3.  Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, whip white Cake Mix, Buttermilk, Pudding, Eggs, Almond Extract, and Vegetable Oil in Stand Mixer until fluffy (for about 2 minutes).  Make sure you scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to blend all the yummy-ness together.

4.  Fold sprinkles into cake batter using rubber spatula ♥

Using an ice cream scoop, fill your cupcake liners about half full with batter.

Before putting your cupcakes in the oven, you'll want to make your 

Cheesecake/Cake batter-esque filling:

Ingredients:

8 oz Cream Cheese

1 egg

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla

Whip Cream Cheese, Egg Sugar, and Vanilla in a medium sized bowl until creamy.

Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop this on top of the cake batter in cupcake liners.

Bake your cupcakes at 325 for appx 18-22 minutes. When your cupcakes are baked, the "cheesecake" portion might look unfinished. This is supposed to stay soft, to resemble cake batter!

The Cake Batter Flavor is in the Frosting! ! ! ! !

7 oz Marshmallow Fluff

2 Cups of Unsalted Butter

1/2 Package of White Cake Mix

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Appx 8 Cups of Powdered Sugar

Optional: 2-3 Tablespoons of Heavy Whipping Cream

Using the paddle attachment, whip Marshmallow Fluff and Butter together (both at room temperature) in a stand mixer.  Next add White Cake Mix and Vanilla Extract.  Gradually add Powdered Sugar until frosting is the thickness desired. (Less Powdered Sugar=light and dreamy fluffy frosting.  More Powdered Sugar=thick stiff frosting good for piping details)

Tip:   If you add too much powdered sugar and want a fluffy, lighter frosting.you  use the heavy whipping cream in your frosting recipe.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes♥

Amanda Cupcake & Strawberry Shortcake.

 ♥

BFFS.

Made possible by a cupcake dream that came true.

I sandwiched summery strawberry hopes and wishes in between layers of vanilla deliciousness.  The pink sprinkled dots were definitely an Amanda Cupcake touch.  But I have to give the credit to Strawberry Shortcake for the delicious strawberry sandwich idea.

See what I mean?

This is inspiration for my strawberry shortcake cupcake creation.

It's kind of like my mission of uniting cupcakes & pie.

When I finished decorating the cupcakes...

I couldn't help but notice that the pink swirl on top sprinkled with pink dots looked just like one of my fave celebrities from the 1980s.

My childhood in a cupcake, that is now in my hand.

♥

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake-how to bake it yourself ♥

(If you really want to channel your childhood, dust off that EZ Bake Oven)!

To keep it simple, you can doctor up a cake mix:

The Best Vanilla Cake Mix (if I use cake mixes at all, I use Duncan Hines).

1 or 2 Vanilla Beans

1 1/4 Cup of Buttermilk (in place of water)

1/3 Cup Oil

4 Eggs
1 3.9 or 4 oz box of White Chocolate or Vanilla Instant Pudding

• Pre-heat oven to 350.    Line Cupcake Pan with appx 24 Cupcake Liners.
• Mix Cake Mix, Buttermilk, and Vegetable Oil in Stand Mixer.
• Open and scrape vanilla beans into batter. ♥
• Gradually add Eggs into mixture until well blended.
• Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so all ingredients are incorporated.
• Fill Cupcake Liners about 2/3 full and bake for appx 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.

For Strawberry Goodness Sandwiched into your cupcake:

Strawberry Gelee (recipe adapted from Sticky Gooey Chewy Creamy)

1 Cup Strawberry Puree

¼ Cup Sugar

1 T Lemon Juice

2T Cold Water

3 T Strawberry Jello

½ Cup  fresh summery strawberries, diced!

1.  Puree your strawberries (I use a blender and that works wonderfully).

2.  Now you can heat your strawberry puree & sugar in a small saucepan.

3.  Add lemon juice-then remove from heat.

4.  Combine cold water and gelatin in a small bowl.

5.  This water and gelatin combo will need to sit for 5 minutes.

6.  Add your strawberry puree/sugar blend to the water/gelatin combo and stir until gelatin dissolves.

7.  Stir strawberries into mixture and let this chill for 1-2 hours before sandwiching into your cupcake.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Recipe:

by Amanda Cupcake.

1 lb unsalted butter

5 T of strawberry jelly or you can use 5 T of the strawberry gelee that you already made.

1 T of Vanilla Extract

3Tof Heavy Whipping Cream

6-8 Cups Powdered Sugar

**To help blend the strawberries into the frosting, use the whisk attachment on your stand mixer for this recipe.

Directions:

1. Using your stand mixer,  mix your unsalted butter until it looks fluffy and creamy.

2.  Gradually add strawberry gelee, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream.

3.  Once all ingredients are incorporated gradually add powdered sugar until you reach the consistency desired (the more powdered sugar you add the thicker the frosting will be).