Piñata Cupcakes
Piñata Cupcakes? Seriously? But, have you ever seen anything so festive? Me either! I love whimsical deserts. Bright, bold colors, flavors that seem crazy together, but work seamlessly.
Cupcakes, in general, are whimsical. They are casual, yet perfect for weddings.
When I’m at a party and see a display of cupcakes instead of a regular layer cake, The cupcakes seem to speak to me, “pssst., hey bro…, yeah you! Come here….” you get the idea.
Our Piñata cupcakes are always the talk of the party. No one expects the “goodies” inside of the cake, yet let alone to have them come pouring out. It’s fun to watch people as they discover the candy. It can be hilarious.
These cupcakes might seem daunting to tackle, but they are very easy to make and assemble. You can find the large cake sprinkles in any craft store that has a baking section. Also, for piping the icing, I use the Wilton M tip.
The next time you take a desert to an office pitch-in, a birthday party, or any fun occasion, make a bunch of these guys and watch the fun happen!
Pinata Cupcakes
The cake part of these cupcakes is our White Cake Recipe. Delicate, but sturdy enough to fill the center with goodies.
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons softened butter
- 1/2 Cup vegetable shortening such as crisco
- 1 Tablespoon bakeing powder
- 1 3/4 cups sugar extra fine works well
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large egg whites
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour swan brand flour works well
- 1 cup milk
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350. Prepare muffin tin by inserting cupcake liners or spraying with cooking spray.
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Add white whites to the mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
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Stir 1/3 of the flour into the mixture followed by half of the milk, then another 1/3 of flour, the remaining milk,and then remaining flour. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and bottom during this process.
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Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. bake 15-18 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
How to fill cupcakes with sprinkles
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Use a knife to cut a hole into the center of the cupcake about 1 inch deep.
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The piece you removed will be the shape of a cone. Set it aside.
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Place about one heaping teaspoon of sprinkles inside the cupcake. Slice off the pointy end of the "cone" piece of cupcake you removed so that it can fit on top of the sprinkle filling
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Frosting
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Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy - about 2 minutes.
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Add 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, salt, heavy cream, and vanilla with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick.
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If you are making different color frostings, divide into separate bowls, adding food color and stirring until incorporated.
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Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes, making sure to cover the cut marks.