Shoes with real sprinkles on top! DIY!

I altered some pink and white faux "chucks" I bought at a local discount store by throwing magical glittery sprinkles on them. Yep, this time the shoes got the sprinkles on top instead of the cupcakes!  Unless you are a baker yourself, you may not realize that there are many times when my shoes look similar to this at the end of a really busy baking & decorating day.

You know what I think is really special?  There will always be something that you leave behind that makes people love you more. Little reminders, pieces of you. I'd have to say my special thing is sprinkles and glitter.  Since I am leaving a trail of glitter, it makes total sense that I'd put sequins on my shoes!

\

What's your special thing? What makes people love and miss you when they see it?

I "iced" the sides of the shoes with white puffy paint to make it look like I spilled frosting on my shoes! (not far from the truth).  You really don't need this part to be perfect.  Spilling icing is far from perfect. It's messy.



You're probably asking, "What happens if your shoes get wet? Will the sprinkles fall off or dissolve?"

.

My answer is no! My not-so-secret ingredient in this recipe:  Clear Glitter Nail Polish.

First, I painted the white part of the shoe with clear glitter nail polish. 

 I threw the sprinkles on the wet nail polish and waited for the sprinkles to dry & "set" to the shoes. Last, I brushed the nail polish on top of the sprinkles as a sealant. Note: You can use regular clear nail polish as a sealant, I used glitter nail polish as my glue of choice because glitter is my favorite color.

♥

Nail polish dries pretty quickly, so this is a perfect project if you are feeling creative but impatient to see the end result. I finished both the "icing" and "sprinkling"part in about an hour and let everything set for less than a day (about 4-6 hours just to be safe).

I was wearing these by EOD and already received compliments and people asking me where they could get some shoes like this?! Can you tell I am smiling in this picture?! :)   

Amanda Cupcake Red Velvet Cupcake Milkshake!

I am super excited.

As you may or may not know, I live the life of a sweet dreamer..like everything I do is glitter or sugar or sprinkle coated. I even carry sprinkles in my purse so that I can sprinkle people with them when they are having a bad day. I am like a living female Willy Wonka. So I started thinking, why limit myself to cupcakes only? Why not make all kinds of fun food and even beverages inspired by this sweet lifestyle that I live (and I have a feeling you live a very similar one too if you are reading this!)? Just imagine the territory we could cover adding our glittery spell of cupcake love to everything.

Drumroll please... ♥

So here goes my first venture outside of the "cupcake box":  I partnered with Familiar Grounds Coffee Shop to come up with this: The Amanda Cupcake Red Velvet Cupcake Freeze! We sat down and brainstormed the flavors together, then Lucas (awesomely better than barista at FG) made us samples in the back kitchen and we tried them like..10 minutes after coming up with the flavor idea.  We were a successful team, it tastes just like a red velvet cupcake!  Topped with whipped cream and sprinkles.  So here is a reason to visit New London, Wisconsin! Visit Familiar Grounds Coffee Shop and try my newest venture in creating a sweet, dreamy lifestyle!

Or..if you can't make it to a nearby Familiar Grounds..you can always try one at home. this is my recipe from my very own kitchen.

First things first. I partnered with some other fave people/brands for my red velvet cupcake milkshake.  Ben & Jerry's, Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Mix, Americolor Super Red, Pyrex, and Kitchen Aid (yes! I used a mixer to whip this milkshake together instead of a blender. Appropriate since we are bakers, right?)

I was thinking ahead. I bought the clearest of clear plastic cups so that I could see the red color from outside when I was all done making the milkshake! Super economical, and also allows you to show your work off. ♥ I dipped each cup in SPRINKLES! (That's a given.. we are trying to recreate a cupcake in the form of a milkshake, why not coat the cup in sprinkles too?!).  I also sprinkled the inside of the cup with edible glitter!

I embraced my inner cupcake queen and PIPED the milkshake into the cup using a professional decorating bag, just like I was frosting a beautiful cupcake. The piping bag worked pretty perfectly actually, it kept everything very neat!

Boom.

A red velvet cupcake milkshake.

My first ever Amanda Cupcake inspired beverage.

I swirled whipped cream on top, and used a decorative straw to hold my red velvet cupcake "shishkabob" on top of the drink.  The cherry on top?! There are always more and more and more and more cherries on top where I come from.  

The Amanda Cupcake Red Velvet Cupcake Milkshake Recipe:
(Makes 2 milkshakes so you can share!)

Ingredients needed:
4 Tablespoons of dry red velvet cake mix (you can keep the leftover mix for a future batch)!
4-5 big scoops of Ben & Jerry's Red Velvet Ice Cream (if you can't find this, use chocolate ice cream)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
15 mini sized drops of Super Red Americolor Gel Paste
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2-3/4 cup cold milk
Whipped cream

Accessories needed:
♥Decorative paper straws
♥Maraschino stemmed cherries
♥Sprinkles galore
♥Mini cupcakes using your favorite red velvet cupcake recipe or you can use the box-just buy an extra one or use the leftover mix . 

♥Bowl of melted white candy melts as the "glue" to get the sprinkles to stick to the cup.
♥Optional: Piping bag to pipe the milkshake neatly into the cup.

Instructions:

First, prepare the sprinkled cups:(Hold on:  If you are going to bake mini cupcakes, make sure you bake them before this step so the cupcakes  have time to cool)
1.  Melt white candy melts in a microwave proof bowl for about 45 seconds at a time until smooth.
2.  Pour sprinkles in bowls big enough to dip your cups into.
3.  Once you have all of this prepped, dip the top rim of each cup into the melted candy melts.
4.  Do not wait for the candy melts to dry-immediately dip the top rim of the cup into your favorite sprinkles.
5.  Repeat for each cup.  While the cups are drying, start preparing your milkshake.

Second, prepare the Milkshakes:

1.  Using a liquid measuring cup, measure out 1/2 Cup cold milk.
2.  Whisk Cocoa, Almond Extract, and Americolor Gel Paste into milk.
3.  In stand mixer (using flat beater attachment), whip ice cream and red velvet cake mix together. Then gradually add milk until you reach a  smooth red velvet milkshake texture.

To pour the milkshake into the cup: Fill a ziploc or a piping bag with the milkshake and cut a hole at the end. Neatly squeeze the milkshake into the cup!

Third, have fun decorating your milkshake!1. Swirl with whipped cream topping.
2. Sprinkle.
3. Put a cherry on top
4. Slide mini cupcake onto the straw like you'd do for a shishkabob. I used  a mini star marshmallow to hold the cupcake onto the straw so it wouldn't slide.  Decorate your drink with the cupcake straw.

Enjoy!

How to ship cupcakes and cakes in the mail!

It can be complicated and costly sending cupcakes to a loved one in the mail (or sad if the cupcake makes it there but is smashed). I even have a cousin who rides his bike everywhere and wants a way to transport his cupcakes by bike without the frosting getting smashed...so how do we solve this problem?!

I call one of my solutions to this cupcake shipping problem "Cupcake Kaleidoscopes!"  Some may call these "cupcakes in a jar" but I call them "cupcake kaleidoscopes" because the cupcakes look extra pretty from the outside and you can stare in awe at every enticingly beautiful angle before diving in.  You stack them inside the jar like a layer cake.The cupcakes are already baked and cooled before stacking them inside the jar.

Order from bottom inside:  sprinkles♥frosting♥cake♥sprinkles♥frosting♥cake♥frosting♥sprinkles!

As long as you pack the cupcake kaleidoscopes tightly in bubble wrap and popcorn before boxing them up, the cupcakes shouldn't get smashed in transit!

In addition to cake & frosting, for interest, you can sprinkle a bunch of fun surprises inside-like cookies, candies, candy bars, fillings, caramel, peanut butter cup gems, rainbow confetti sprinkles, edible glitter. Textures and shapes are what define a kaleidoscope! I like to add edible surprises to the bottom of the jar, just like the extra fudge or caramel on the bottom of a sundae!

Or..

You could send..

A cupcake in a can! I made these on TV recently, Fox 11 Living With Amy! 

 You start out with a can like this (preferably one with a flip tab on the top).
.

To prepare the cans for baking, remove the paper from your empty can.  Keep this paper if possible-you can use it as a template to make a decorative wrapper for the outside of the can.  Remove the bottom "lid" from the can with a can opener.   Do not remove the top lid part that has the flip tab.  The magical thing is that the person who receives your cupcake as a gift can open the top with the flip tab like it is the first time the can has ever been opened.  They will wonder how you fit the cupcake inside!  Do not throw away the bottom lid piece that you just removed.  You will be using decorative duct tape or shipping tape to re-tape the bottom piece onto the can after the cupcake / cake has been baked inside the can and decorated.  Grease and flour the inside of the can.

Fill the inside of each can about half full with cupcake batter and set on a baking sheet, or a baking sheet with mini holes on the bottom for better circulation.  You could also bake these directly on your oven rack, but make sure you only fill halfway or batter will explode all over your oven! Bake at 325 for about 28 minutes.

This is what they look like after they are baked. Mini cakes!

Once your cake in a can has cooled, you can remove it from the can.

Cut the cake with a serrated knife so it is level, or you can cut into different "layers".

Sprinkle sprinkles inside of what will be the "top" of your can.

(You have to think backwards here)...

Swirl frosting on top of the sprinkles.

Set your cake back inside of the can..

For a surprise, you can put fillings or frostings on what will be the "bottom" or in between cut cake layers before you seal the can shut.  Remember that lid you removed before? Seal this back on your can using decorative duct tape. Your can is closed.

Flip the can right side up now and it'll be such a magical surprise inside!

You can decorate the outside of the cans! Use the wrapper from a can as a pattern/template and cut different cardstock prints out to use as decorative wrappers for your cake in can. I used double stick tape to stick these patterned "wrappers" to the cans.  I also like tying bonus gifts to the can! Bows and ribbons and spoons to dig in!

Hint:  I use USPS Priority Mail 2 Day Express, Regional Rate Box A to ship these little cupcakes and cakes in a can. (the boxes are free and the shipping is pretty reasonable).  This box size fits two jars that cuddle up right next to each other after they are wrapped in bubble wrap.

There are other options too..in case you want to enjoy your cake in a can more locally..

(this was a screenshot from my video guest appearance on Fox 11 Living With Amy, thank you Amy Hanten!)  As pictured here... you don't have to put the cake back in the can.  You can use your cake in a can as a mini smash cake or a fun cake to decorate at parties. Can you imagine making a bunch of these for a cupcake decorating party and setting them in the center of a painter's palette??  Every one would get to decorate their very own "mini cake" with frosting and sprinkles! 

♥

Happy Baking!

Cupcake Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Baking and decorating isn't the same if I don't step on sprinkles of crunchy rainbows that fell on my kitchen floor tiles,  find frosting in my curly hair, and wonder if I should ever wash my pants again, because smears of glittery frosting on my pants from a fun night of baking looks so pretty! (Sprinkly frosting colored denim line in the future of Amanda Cupcake? Perhaps..)

For Cupcake Lovers that might want to try something new..

 ♥Sugar Cookies♥ that are inspired by cupcakes, layered with Sprinkles, White Whipped Buttercream Frosting, and topped with a bright red sparkly cherry! 

........My cupcake sugar cookies resemble the cupcakes I made last year (they were filled with sprinkles)!

This was really easy. You push a hole down into the middle of the cupcake with a cupcake corer and fill that empty spot with any sprinkles you wish).

The sugar cookies I make are soft, not crunchy. (I leave the crunchy texture up to the sprinkles). I cut the sugar cookie dough with a cupcake cookie cutter about 1/4"-1/2" thick and bake them just until they are done on a lower oven temperature.  This cookie is the perfect BFF with a fluffy marshmallow cream frosting!  I don't believe in a thin glaze of frosting (that's just my own cupcake religion).  I firmly believe in piling on puffy swirls of frosting.

 Isn't that what dreams are made of?

How a Cupcake Sugar Cookie is born:

1.  Roll out the dough so it is 1/4"-1/2" thick (see recipe for making the sugar cookie dough below).

2. Use a cupcake cookie cutter to cut out your shapes, and bake on parchment paper at around 325 for 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven. You don't want to overbake the cookies, but you don't want them to come out raw. You want a happy medium).

3.  Fill a piping bag with Marshmallow Cream frosting (I am using a 1A round decorating tip in my piping bag (see recipe below).

4.  Frost the cupcake liner section of the sugar cookie.  While the frosting is still creamy, dip the frosting in a bowl of rainbow sprinkles.  The rainbow sprinkles will stick to the frosting to create an edible cupcake liner!
5.  Swirl your frosting on to the top of the cupcake, and top with a real cherry!
6.  Sprinkle edible glitter or pixie dust on the Maraschino Cherry for some extra sparkle and shine.


"Cupcake" Sugar Cookies don't have to look like cupcakes.
All my sugar cookies are inspired by how I pipe a pretty swirl of frosting on top of my cupcakes!

Minnie Mouse Sugar Cookies (I just used a Mickey/Minnie Mouse Cookie Cutter and swirled on Electric Pink Frosting!)

Lucky Charms Sugar Cookies! (I just frosted the cookie with frosting and used Lucky Charms as my sprinkles)

Rainbow Sugar Cookies (to learn how to pipe a rainbow swirl, click here for my tutorial)

Lemonhead Sugar Cookies!
(just add 2-4 teaspoons of lemon extract to your buttercream recipe--listed below--for a lemony buttercream). Top with a lemonhead or two..or three!

I Love You Sugar Cookies, Sprinkled with Love and Disco Dust.
(I used a cookie cutter for the shape).

A Garden of Sugar Cookies ♥

Unicorn sugar cookies! (the horn is a bugle and the nose is a marshmallow!)

..Every single one inspired by a cupcake!

Amanda Cupcake Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

6 Cups Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp salt

2 Cups Softened Butter

2 Cups Sugar

2 Eggs

2 Tsp Vanilla

Instructions:
1. In Stand Mixer, Cream Butter, Sugar, Eggs and Vanilla Together.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients-Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt in A Separate Bowl.
3. Gradually add Dry ingredients to creamed ingredients.
4. Now roll your sugar cookie dough out on parchment paper and lay out on a pan.
5. Cover sugar cookie dough with parchment paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes you are ready to cut out your shapes using cookie cutters. (I make my shapes really thick, about 1/4" to 1/2" so they are like "cupcake" tops!)
7. Bake shapes in the oven at 325-350 for only about 10-15 minutes (I always underbake them a little so they are soft instead of hard).

Amanda Cupcake Marshmallow Cream Frosting:

13 oz Marshmallow Cream

1 lb softened butter

4 T Vanilla Extract

appx 8 Cups of Powdered Sugar (depending on how thick you want your frosting to be)

Instructions:
1. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the Marshmallow Cream and the butter out into your stand mixer.
2. Mix well until fluffy and well blended.
3. Add vanilla extract.
4. Now add your powdered sugar, slowly until the frosting reaches desired consistency. Don't be afraid to add more powdered sugar-there is a lot of butter and marshmallow cream so it may take awhile to reach the stiffness desired for piping pretty swirls on your cupcake inspired cookies. ♥

Beautiful Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Everything is better with ... Velvet.

Cupcakes usually are my specialty.

Especially my red velvet cupcakes.

I call these the Amanda Cupcake "Supergirl" Red Velvet Cupcakes.

Because a very Super kind of Girl made them ♥

And they are my signature flavor.

I'm so convinced that everything is better with Velvet that I jumped out of my comfortable cupcake zone to prove to you..that even...brownies...are better..paired with the inspiration of a red velvet cupcake.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Inspired by Red Velvet Cupcakes ♥

When you try them you might ask yourself..

"This is beautiful..What is That..Red Velvet?"

(I added starry sprinkles because I add sprinkles to everything.  Life is a celebration).

At first, I wanted to add frosting.. but they are so good and so beautiful the way they are.

I used a toothpick to swirl the "cheesecake" batter in with the brownie batter. And you should know.. I doubled this recipe because I think a very thick fat brownie is way prettier than a thin one.   After I doubled the recipe I packed all of the batter  into one 8x8 Pyrex baking pan for a very thick (but soft) brownie..layered with swirls of cheesecake inside.

The Recipe

for your very own Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies ♥

(I already doubled the recipe for your extra thick brownie pleasure).

Makes 16 Extra Fat Thick Red Velvet Brownies.

Ingredients Needed:

For The Brownie:

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 Large Eggs
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Fine Baking Sugar
4 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Almond Extract
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1-2 Tablespoons Americolor Super Red Color Gel Paste (You can find this at local cake decorating supply stores) -- The more red you add, the brighter the brownie will be!

For The Cheesecake Swirl:
16 oz Softened Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Fine Baking Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Method for the Brownies:
1.  Preheat your oven to 325 or 350.  Use nonstick spray or "Magic Release" to prepare your 8x8 baking pan.

2.  Beat your eggs in a small bowl.
3.  Melt 1 Cup of Unsalted Butter in the microwave.  Melt in short increments of 15-30 seconds to make sure you don't overheat or burn the butter.
4.  Pour the Melted Butter into a stand mixer bowl.
5.  Add the following and use whisk attachment to mix into to the melted butter:  2 Cups of Baking Sugar, 2 Teaspoons Almond Extract, 4 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract, 1/2 Cup Cocoa, 1/4 Teaspoon Salt, Americolor Gel Paste, and Apple Cider Vinegar.

6.  Fold in the eggs and whisk lightly, until just combined with batter.
7.  Using the paddle attachment, fold in the flour.

8.  Scrape bowl down in between to make sure all ingredients are evenly blended.
9.  Pour batter into your baking pan.  Brownies will look very thick.  Remember, this is what you want. No wimpy brownies ♥

Method for the Cheesecake Swirl:
1.  You can use any stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth and dreamy.  Tip: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature/softened or your cheesecake swirl will be lumpy instead of smooth and dreamy.

2.  Pour the cheesecake batter on top of your Brownie Batter in the pan. Use a toothpick, skewer, or a knife to glide the cheesecake through your thick red velvet brownie layers.

Your Cheesecake and Brownies are now BFFs. ♥They are ready to bake together at 325-350 for approximately 35-40 minutes depending on your oven.

• If your brownies weren't this thick...you'd bake them for 25-30 minutes.
• Every oven is unique, this recipe may take less or more time..
• Keep a toothpick nearby, and when a toothpick inserted into the brownie comes out clean, the brownie is fully baked!

If you can't wait.. Eat your brownies right out of the pan. While warm. With Ice Cream.

Or..
If you are serving them.
Wait for the brownies to cool and cut into squares. ♥
The best time to sprinkle the brownies (like I did with sprinkles) is while they are still warm so that the sprinkles stick to the warm ooey gooey-ness.

♥

Thank you Food Network..
I adapted this brownie recipe to be a little more cupcakey..than brownie-esque..because after all.. I am Amanda Cupcake ♥

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.

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart Cupcakes

I've been reminiscing about my past summer. (All the weddings my cupcakes have attended)!!!  And I plan on continuing with that.♥  But I also have to live in the present moment.

Can I just say I am so stoked and most importantly...grateful?!

This is me beaming in the reflection of my new shiny double convection oven at the Amanda Cupcake Mansion. ♥ It even says "PRO" on it. (The pressure's on now)!

 

As of Friday morning (September 14th) my little cupcake estate was approved by the health department. This is my new kitchen.

 

My "fairy godmother" and I had a toast over Cupcake Wine and cupcakes to celebrate!

 

I even have a view to the outside world while I make cupcakes for you♥

 

This was moving day.  I used to store my entire kitchen under the basement stairs of Cronie's in Waupaca, using crates as makeshift shelves in the basement.  You ask how I stay thin making delicious cupcakes?  Here's your answer. I ran up and down the stairs to get my supplies, all night long.   (FYI, there is glitter foreverly imprinted in the wood of the stairs. I left my mark at Cronie's).

 

And..believe it or not..I made thousands of cupcakes out of this pretty historical single rack oven out of the Cronies kitchen. (I'll never ever forget where I started).  The secret to making sure my cupcakes were baked evenly with this oven?  Making sure the temp was turned down to 250 degrees and rotating the cupcake pans every so often.

 

Now you see why I was smiling in the reflection of my new oven.  With a few tear droplets coming out of my eyes too ♥ It was a *moment* in my time here as Amanda Cupcake.

 

Ok. So you want to know where the cupcakes are.

Here are some that I made right before my move:

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart Cupcakes

to celebrate fall.

They are cupcakes that taste just like pumpkin pie..with pumpkin pie pop tarts baked inside!

 

I cut up pumpkin pie pop tarts into little squares. The pop tarts are popping out of the pumpkin colored cupcake..just like they pop out of the toaster!  The sprinkles I added look like they are falling off of the pop-tart. ♥

 

This is what the pumpkin pie pop tarts look like baked inside of a cupcake. Baking a pop tart inside of a cupcake is easy, and after they are baked inside of the cupcake they taste like little pies! 

 

Step by Step:

1.  Cut your untoasted pop tarts up into little squares using a serrated knife. 

2.  Scoop a small amount of batter into the bottom of a cupcake liner and place the pop tart square on top of the batter. 

3.  So the pop tart square is a surprise..I hide it by pouring more pumpkin pie batter over the top of the pop tart!

 

 

Now the recipe for the cupcakes so you can try this at home:

 

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart Cupcakes ♥

 

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1 (14oz) can of Pumpkin Pie Filling
1 (4oz) box of vanilla pudding (or you can experiment and try other fun flavors like cheesecake, white chocolate, etc).
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk or milk
3 eggs
Box of Pumpkin Pie pop tarts

My main ingredients in everything I bake:
Patience, Sparkles, and LOVE.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
3. Pour your cake mix and pudding powder in stand mixer, whisk until combined.
4.  Gradually add remaining ingredients and mix on medium-high for 2 minutes, making sure to scrape down the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients.
5.  Pour batter into tins.
6.  You can place a piece of pop tart in each before baking if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.
7.Once cooled, top with frosting and poptart.

 

♥

 

 

Tip for the pumpkin pie pop tart cupcakes:  Because there is so much delicious heavy pumpkin action going on inside of the cupcake batter, the pumpkin pie cupcakes are dense & don't rise very high.  You can fill the cupcake liners almost 3/4 full.

 

 

♥

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz of Cream Cheese

8 oz unsalted butter

3-5 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar

 

1.  In a large bowl, whip your Cream Cheese & Butter together until creamy.

2.  Add Vanilla Extract and Heavy Whipping Cream.

3.  Gradually add Powdered sugar.  For a more "fluffy dreamy" frosting swirl, use about 2-3 Cups Powdered Sugar.   For a stiffer frosting consistency (good for piping texture), use 3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar.