Cupcake Poppers

Prep 1 hr 15 min
Total 1 hr 15 min
Servings 30

Get playful with your food and watch as simple cupcakes take on a little color and turn into super-fun Cupcake Poppers. Start with Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ cake mix, and liven it up with bright colors and fluffy frosting. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated December 16, 2011

Make with

Betty Crocker Cake Mix

Ingredients

Cupcakes

box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ white cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box

1/4

teaspoon each Betty Crocker™ gel food colors (neon pink, neon purple, neon orange, neon green, classic blue)

Frosting

1 1/2

cups marshmallow creme

3/4

cup butter, softened

1 1/4

cups powdered sugar

Betty Crocker™ gel food colors (neon pink, neon purple, neon orange, neon green, classic blue)

Steps

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1

Heat oven to 350°F (for all pans). Spray 60 mini muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Divide batter among 5 small bowls, about 3/4 cup each. Make 5 different colors of batter by adding 1/4 teaspoon food color to each bowl; blend well.
2

Fill each muffin cup with 1 level measuring tablespoon batter, making 12 cupcakes of each color.
3

Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.
4

In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. Divide frosting among 5 small bowls, about 1/3 cup each. Using the same 5 food colors, lightly tint frosting in each bowl to match cupcake colors.
5

Assemble each popper using 2 mini cupcakes. Cut tops off each cupcake horizontally (save bottoms for another use). Spread or pipe about 1 tablespoon frosting on cut side of 1 cupcake top. Form a sandwich by placing cut side of second cupcake top on frosting; press lightly. Repeat with remaining cupcake tops. Store loosely covered.

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Expert Tips

For a fun idea, using canned or leftover frosting, spread frosting between layers of cupcake bottoms and thread on wooden skewers.
If you have only one pan and a recipe calls for more cupcakes than your pan will make, cover and refrigerate the rest of the batter while baking the first batch. Cool the pan about 15 minutes, then bake the rest of the batter, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cupcake Popper

Calories: 160
Calories from Fat: 70

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 8g; 12%
Saturated Fat 3 1/2g 18% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 10mg; 4%
Sodium: 150mg; 6%
Potassium: 15mg; 0%
Total Carbohydrate: 21g; 7%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 15g
Protein: 1g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 2%; 2%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 2%; 2%
Iron: 0%; 0%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

1 1/2

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Colorful Cupcake Poppers

Is it a macaron? A whoopie pie? What are you making over there? That’s what we kept hearing when we were creating colorful Cupcake Poppers for the Betty 10 Holiday Trends project.

We had way too much fun making these mini cupcake sandwiches- which was the whole point! See, Cupcake Poppers are the recipe we created for the Bright Color, Playful Food holiday trend. We were inspired by all the fun food that we’ve seen this year- things like cake and cookies on a stick, and desserts tinted every color of the rainbow.

And really, what could be more fun than a brightly colored mini cupcake that’s made into a sandwich and filled with fluffy frosting? The best part is you can make them any color you want. Just start with Betty Crocker white cake mix batter and stir in food color for a bright and bold look. See how to make Cupcake Poppers in our video:

Go ahead. Get in the kitchen and play!

- Jennifer, BC Taste Seeker