This week was my dear friend and podcast co-host's birthday, and if you have followed my blog for awhile, I am sure you've noticed that I make a lot of baked goods for people. One, because I love baking, and two, because I think I might be slightly insane. At least that's what many of the people who know me have iterated repeatedly to me. I will concur that I am baking insane as it does appear that I always have a baked comestible coming out of the oven or cooling on the counter for the multitudes who cross my home's threshold to enjoy.
One of my son's friends, a giant creature who I think is transforming into a vampire as we speak (he was bitten by a bat a few weeks ago, don't worry though, he's currently under a rabies treatment series), said it best:
"You are not like most moms, you seem to always be baking or cooking something."
Lady Dimitresque's soon to be adopted son is right I think. I have toyed around with opening my own, Kat-like treat shop for years. However, I am already stretched a little thin with all the life I live, and a retail food establishment has to be your life, so for right now my baking prowess will remain utilized for those I adore. Who knows what the future holds though, one can only be told so many times that they MUST open a shop before it might actually become a reality...we shall see.
Anyway, future retail establishment dreams aside, my friend's birthday was looming, and I wanted to do something fun for him. He used to live the under the perpetual influence of cannabis life, and has an appreciation for stoner cuisine. I have to admit that I am pretty impressed with some of the concoctions those in the thrall of munchies concoct, and in honor of that thought vein, I decided to make a sugar cereal inspired cupcake.
Part of the inspiration also came from the fact that my local grocery store had a 12 hour cereal sale. I rarely buy sugar cereal, as I don't eat it, and it's really not the best breakfast option, but as a treat the stuff is kinda fun! Plus at $1.68 for a box or big bag, my frugal nature rejoiced.
Which brings us to the cupcakes. Now, I have been a little over-worked, so I used a boxed cake mix, but I spiffed up the mix because I hate dry cake which lacks body. Hence the addition of an extra egg and pudding. The star of the cake mix though was the infused cereal milk that I crafted to use as the liquid in the cake mix.
Fruity Pebbles have this smell when they sit in milk that is the finest chemical fruit smell ever concocted, and if you let them sit in a bowl of milk for an hour, strain them with a mesh strainer, and whisk in a touch of brown sugar and salt, you get this glorious, fruity liquid that imparts a punch of laboratory-crafted, taste-bud smacking goodness that is smashing for a party cake.
I liked the cereal milk so much that I infused some whipping cream with the Fruity Pebbles as well for the buttercream frosting that I topped the cupcakes with. The frosting was so, so good. Like, I was allowing myself sugar that day and grabbed a pinch of Fruity Pebbles and piped the frosting on it good. Yum.
Anyway, I baked the cupcakes the night before. Any cake I bake I tend to bake the day before, cool it, wrap it with plastic wrap, and tuck it away in the cupboard over night. Moisture cake magic happens, trust me.
The following day I whipped together the frosting, piped it in a swirl on the cereal milk infused cupcakes using my favorite thing ever made, disposable piping bags, and then got to do the most fun part of this particular type of cupcake construction, rolling the tops of the frosted cupcakes in a bowl of Fruity Pebbles to garnish them.
I think they turned out so great:
And even more so than how they looked was the fact that they just tasted so dang awesome!
Now, there is nothing remotely redeeming about these cupcakes in the health department. They are a testament to Big Food industry chemists, but as a fun treat they knocked it out of the park. I'm seriously going to make them at least once a year, probably around my friend's birthday and 12 hour cereal sale time. And if you have a friend or family member who loves sugar cereal, I can almost guarantee they will love these cupcakes!
The Cupcakes:
1 Funfetti cake mix (I used Pillsbury) (or scratch made funfetti cake batter, enough for 24 cupcakes)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 TBSP instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup cereal milk *see instructions belowPre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line cupcake trays with enough wrappers for 24 cupcakes.
Whisk pudding mix into cake mix and add oil, eggs, and cereal milk. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scrap bowl, then beat on med-high for 4 minutes until batter is light and fluffy.Fill cupcake tins 2/3's full and bake for 13-15 minutes. Do not overbake cupcakes, no one likes a dry cupcake.
The Cereal Milk:
1 1/2 cups of Fruity Pebbles
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 TBSP brown sugar
a generous pinch of saltPlace the Fruity Pebbles cereal into a bowl, pour the cream and milk into the bowl with the cereal and stir it a bit until the cereal is completely saturated. Let the cereal sit, covered for a minimum of 20 minutes (I let it sit 60 minutes). Strain cereal through a mesh strainer. I use a rubber spatula to really press the cereal into the mesh so that I can extract all that good corporate kitchen chemistry flavor! After straining, add the brown sugar and salt. Give the cereal milk a good whisking. After that the cereal milk is all ready to use!
The Frosting:
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
3-5 TBSP's cereal cream see instructions belowBeat butter and shortening together until well combined, and add powdered sugar a cup at a time, until well combined. Add vanilla and cereal milk and beat until super fluffy. I usually add a TBSP or two of cereal milk as I am adding the powdered sugar in, you want to only add enough milk to get the texture of frosting that you want, spreadable without being runny. This gets easier to achieve over time with practice, I honestly don't even measure the milk that I put in frosting, it's a complete eyeball thing.
The Cereal Cream:
1/2 cup Fruity Pebbles cereal
1//4 cup whipping cream
2 Tablespoons whole milkPlace the Fruity Pebbles cereal into a bowl, pour the cream and milk into the bowl with the cereal and stir it a bit until the cereal is completely saturated. Let the cereal sit, covered for a minimum of 20 minutes. Strain cereal through a mesh strainer. I use a rubber spatula to really press the cereal into the mesh so that I can extract all that good corporate kitchen chemistry flavor! After that the cereal milk is all ready to use!
The Garnish:
1 cup Fruity Pebbles cereal
Place Fruity Pebbles in a bow, gently roll tops of frosted cupcakes in the cereal until coated. Garnish done!
And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's still covered with powdered sugar due to persistent proximity to mixer explosion issues iPhone.