Sprinkles style holiday cupcakes

When the holidays begin to roll around, my go-to is usually a good old batch of cookies! But today, my son wanted to make cupcakes and I gave in to his whims. But oh, what fun it was!

I’m so excited that we’ve finally reached the age where my son sees magic in everything. And right now, what’s magical to him is baking! With a joyful glee in his eyes, he runs to grab his step stool to set up next to the counter. Once he’s all set up and giddy as a puppy wearing his little apron, we begin.

Every time, he studies the process, surveying all the ingredients against the checklist in his head. I can see the wheels turn constantly, trying to remember what we used last and if those same ingredients will show up for the recipe at hand. His job is always to measure out the sugar, flour, salt, and oddly enough, gets excited about the baking powder and baking soda! Maybe because it makes things bubbly just like him.

And with that, here’s our delicious remake of a sprinkles style cupcake. A moist cupcake base piled high with an ungodly amount of frosting. Give a whirl for your next holiday get together, or your next family baking project!

SPRINKLES STYLE HOLIDAY CUPCAKES

Yields 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Vanilla Cake Base

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

• 1/4 cup melted butter

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup water

Vanilla Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

• 6 cups powdered sugar

• 4 tbsp heavy whipping cream

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Holiday sprinkles for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 six slot cupcake tins with festive cupcake liners.

2. For the cake, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Then add the melted butter, buttermilk, water, egg, and vanilla extract to flour mixture. Whisk to incorporate at first, then whisk vigorously for 1 minute until the batter is smooth with no big lumps.

3. Distribute cake batter evenly among the cupcake slots, about 3/4 of the way high. Bake for about 15-20 minutes on the center rack, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack or somewhere else away from the oven. You can even put them in the refrigerator if you want!

4. To make the frosting, whip the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Then, add the powered sugar 1 cup at a time to the butter as well as 1 tbsp of cream at a time, alternating between the two until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and vanilla bean paste at the end. Whip the frosting on high for 1 minute until the frosting is fluffy and light.

5. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, release them from the pan gently. To get that Sprinkles-like vibe, take a big dollop of frosting and spoon it onto the top center of the cupcake. Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting from inside out, while maintaining a big mound on top. Then use the spatula to scrape it downward to the edges creating a slope. Go back around the edges and scrape like a cake to smooth it out.

6. Decorate using a variety of sprinkles on top, or dip the frosting in a bowl of sprinkles, making sure it covers all the frosting!