Bonus Recipe: Where the Wild Things Are Cupcakes - Alison's Wonderland Recipes (2024)

Three cheers for extra Thursdays! Whenever a month has a 5th Thursday, I get to do a bonus post, which is especially exciting this month since this menu was inspired by my son’s birthday party. It was quite the bash! I made deviled eggs, fruit salad, and a giant chocolate chip cookie, and we ordered pizza for our entree. Plus, both the grandmas made delicious desserts too! My mom made cupcakes, and my mother-in-law made crown-shaped sugar cookies with gold sprinkles. Both were delicious, so for my bonus recipe, I decided to pay tribute to both.

These fun cupcakes come in two flavors: chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and vanilla cake with chocolate frosting (just like the ones my mom made). The recipes are easy, and the fun, whimsical decorations are inspired by my mother-in-laws cookies: white and gold sprinkles on some, fruit roll-up crowns on others. It’s a lot of variety without a lot of extra work, and the results were super delicious. Enjoy! ^.^

“Oh, please don’t go—we’ll eat you up—we love you so!”

— Where the Wild Things Are

INGREDIENTS:

• For the Vanilla Cupcakes
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs, room temp
  • 2 1/2 tbsp sour cream
  • 3/4 tsp distilled white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
• For the chocolate cupcakes, just sub cocoa powder for 1/2 cup of the flour.
• For the Vanilla Frosting
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, separated
  • 3 tbsp milk, separated
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• For the chocolate frosting, just sub cocoa powder for 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar.
• For the Decorations
  • Gold pearl sprinkles
  • White pearl sprinkles
  • 4 orange-colored fruit rolls (I used tropical-flavored Welch’s fruit rolls. Each roll was about 3 feet.)

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. 1. To start the vanilla cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°.
      2. Fill a cupcake tin with liners and set aside. Whisk together all the dry ingredients except the sugar in a medium bowl and set aside.
      3. Cream the butter on medium speed in a large bowl. Beat in the sugar and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the sour cream and vinegar. Alternate beating in the dry mix and buttermilk.
      4. Fill the liners half full and bake for 15-17 minutes for until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when firmly tapped with a finger. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
         
      5. Repeat Steps 2-4 for the chocolate cupcakes.
         
      6. To make the vanilla frosting, sifted the powdered sugar into a small bowl and set aside. Beat the butter on medium speed in a standing mixer until smooth. Beat in 1 cup of the powdered sugar and beat until combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. Beat in the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Alternate beating in the remaining powdered sugar and milk.
      7. Repeat Step 6 to make the chocolate frosting, sifting the cocoa powder with the powdered sugar.
      8. Transfer your vanilla frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe swirls onto your chocolate cupcakes. Transfer your chocolate frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe swirls onto your vanilla cupcakes.
      9. To make your crown decorations, cut your fruit rolls into 10-inch strips. Fold the strips in half to make 5-inch strips. Cut triangles from one side of each strip. Bring the ends of each strip together to make rings. Now you have crowns!
      10. Top half your chocolate-frosted cupcakes with crowns and half with white pearl sprinkles. Top half your vanilla-frosted cupcakes with crowns and half with gold pearl sprinkles.
          
      11. Serve to sate the hunger of the ravenous Wild Things!
          
          See Also

          Orange Chicken Recipe - Ready in 20 Minutes!Food for the Cabin: Easy Recipes to Make AheadTraditional Swedish Meatball Recipe: Easy and DeliciousPerfect Quiche Recipe (Any Flavor!) - Sally's Baking Addiction

   Check out my other Where the Wild Things Are recipes!

   King of the Wild Things Pull-Apart Pizza Crown

   See Also

   Low FODMAP Diet Dinner Recipes

   Max’s Boat Deviled Eggs

   What the Wild Things Eat: Tropical Fruit Salad

   Where the Wild Things Are Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie

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