With Sprinkles on Top

You ever have one of those baking experiences that makes you want to quit baking forever? Making these cupcakes was one of those experiences. Good. Lord. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I dropped the Elf cookies on the floor. Had to buy new ones. Turned my mixer on too quickly and cake mix poofed up all over my kitchen (“poofed up” is such a technical term…). I wanted to make the chocolate icing look pretty, but realized I was all out of piping bags. I tried to use a Ziploc bag instead and the bags kept ripping at the seams. Then the homemade chocolate buttercream also got dropped on the floor in the busted Ziploc bag. Gaaaaahhhhhh!

So I had to ultimately frost these babies with chocolate frosting from a can. Because I just didn’t have the energy to start over AGAIN. But trust me when I say that the original homemade chocolate buttercream was delicious. Too bad it ended up on my kitchen floor.

But I know that when you make these, you’ll have an easier time!

Keebler Elf Cupcakes
Recipe source: yourcupofcake.com
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Cake:
1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup Keebler Fudge Cookies chopped

Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon malted milk powder
1 tablespoon milk
3-4 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, gently whisk eggs, oil, milk, sour cream and vanilla extract together.
4. Add cake mix and stir until smooth.
5. Fold in cookie fudge cookie pieces.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minute or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
7. Frosting: Beat butter and vanilla extract. Add cocoa, malted milk powder and milk. Scrape down the bowl often. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Use more milk to thin if needed.
8. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with a piece of cookie.

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Pineapple is my favorite fruit of all time. I never get sick of it and it always instantly reminds me of our family vacations to Hawaii. The Dole plantation on Oahu is pretty fantastic – all the pineapple and pineapple-themed stuff you could ever dream of. I saw these adorable mini pineapple upside down cakes and had to try them. Cake + brown sugar + whiskey + pineapple + a maraschino cherry? What’s not to love?

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
Recipe source: A Beautiful Mess
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For the topping:
1 can pineapple rings (or you can use fresh pineapple)
1 teaspoon whiskey
6 maraschino cherries
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

For the batter:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon whiskey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pineapple juice

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
2. In a small pot over medium heat stir together 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and a teaspoon of whiskey. Once the mixture starts to bubble, let it cook another minute or two. It should thicken a little. Remove from heat and spoon into a buttered cupcake pan.
3. Lay in the pineapple slices and cherry halves. Canned pineapple slices will be a bit too large, so just cut a bit out. The pineapple ring will them fit into the muffin cup.
4. For the batter first whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Now cream together the softened butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs, whiskey and vanilla extract. Now add in half the flour mixture, stir. Then pour in the reserved 1/2 cup pineapple juice, stir. Then the remaining flour mixture.
5. Spoon mixture over the prepared pineapple filled pans. Don’t overfill the cups, but they will be slightly more full than standard cupcake recipes.
6. Bake for 25-28 minutes until golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Invert the pan over a cutting board or large plate to turn the mini cakes upside down (which for these is right side up). If any pineapple pieces fall off, put them back in place.

Makes about 1 dozen.

Alright, I will admit that I’m not the biggest dreamsicle (or do you call it creamsicle?) fan. I’m not a fan of orange flavored anything, really. But this cake was too pretty to pass up! And a cake that is only fitting to make in the summertime.

Dreamsicle Swirl Cake
Recipe source: Showstopping Cakes by Paula Deen
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Orange Cake Batter:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
4 large eggs
3/4 cup orange juice
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 drops orange food coloring

White Cake Batter:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
6 egg whites, beaten until still

Marshmallow Frosting:
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
1 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 3 9-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray.
2. To prepare Orange Cake Batter: in a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and orange zest at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until just combined. Add food coloring. Set batter aside.
3. To prepare White Cake Batter: in a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold half of beaten egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining egg whites.
4. Spoon white batter and orange batter alternately into prepared cake pans. Swirl batter with a knife. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
5. Make frosting: In microwave-safe bowl, microwave marshmallow creme on high for 15-20 seconds to soften. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and salt until smooth.
6. Assemble and frost cake.

Raise your hand if you remember Dunkaroos from your youth! If you were in grade school in the 90s, you probably ate these as your “dessert” at lunch. And they were amazing. If you’re unfamiliar, you’d get a little compartment of graham cracker kangaroos and another little compartment of frosting. The frosting tasted magical and it included sprinkles, so kids everywhere rejoiced. Does anyone know if Dunkaroos are still sold in stores? I haven’t seen them in years and years.

I’ve seen countless Dunkaroo cupcake recipes on Pinterest, as well as some recipes for just the sprinkled frosting. These things were a cult classic of the 90s, I tell you!

Dunkaroo Cupcakes
Recipe source: Kailley’s Kitchen
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For the cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 whole vanilla bean
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, softened
3 ounces (about 1/3 block) cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or other desired flavor, such as coconut or almond)
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream (or more for desired consistency)
4 Tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

For the graham cracker crust:
1 cup graham crackers crumbs (use food processor to pulverize)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar

Plus Teddy Grahams for decoration.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and light brown sugar. Place about a Tablespoon of the mixture in each muffin liner, patting down with the base of a cup.
3. Bake graham cracker crust for 3 minutes, remove promptly from oven and set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between each. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and extract and mix until just combined.
5. Slice vanilla bean length-wise, scrape seeds into batter and mix until there aren’t visible clumps of vanilla bean.
6. Add milk and vegetable oil, mix until just combined.
7. Spoon batter into cupcake liners and fill each 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes until slightly golden, then allow to cool on a wire rack.

For the frosting:
1. In an electric mixer fitted, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix. Add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix. Add heavy cream and sprinkles and mix.
2. Fill a piping bag with frosting and pipe onto cupcakes, top with Teddy Grahams*.

*Since when do Teddy Grahams have no face?! Kind of creepy without their smiley little bear faces.

Makes about 16-18 cupcakes.

You know what’s annoying? Making blueberry muffins from a box mix and having to mix in that little can of teeny, tiny, little, bitty blueberries. I mean, really? Blueberries the size of a pea? Uncool! Make homemade blueberry muffins during the summer – when fresh fruit is at its best.

You know what else is annoying? Making blueberry muffins from scratch and having all of the fresh blueberries sink to the bottom. Again, uncool. The trick to fixing that is to toss the blueberries in a little bit of flour before you add them to the batter. It’s easy. Put your fresh blueberries in a small bowl, add a heaping spoonful of flour, and mix to coat the blueberries. Then add them to your batter. The berries won’t sink!

Blueberry Muffins
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1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a muffin pan with 10 paper muffin cups or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, egg, and milk. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just blended (mixture will be slightly lumpy).
3. Add the blueberries and stir them in just enough to combine.
4. Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter (about 3/4 full). Bake the muffins until golden, about 18-24 minutes. Remove the muffins from a pan and cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 10 muffins, which are best served warm.