Dipped Vanilla Sprinkle Cupcakes
 
Prep time
Cook time
 
The most adorable cupcakes you've ever seen - vanilla cake topped with a silky swiss meringue buttercream dipped in chocolate, sprinkles and topped with a cherry! ADORABLE! Recipe source: Adapted from Bakers Royale
Serves: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
French Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients:
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 and ¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, optional (I omitted this today, but I usually add it)
Easy Vanilla Pudding Filling:
  • 1 small box (3oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients:
  • 1 and ½ cups white sugar
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, cool but slightly softened and cut into 1-Tablespoon size pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons vanilla
Garnish:
  • Rainbow sprinkles
  • Maraschino cherries, with stems
Chocolate Dipping Sauce:
  • 2 cups of chopped, semi-sweet chocolate (I used 1 bag of chocolate chips)
  • 3 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
French Vanilla Cupcakes:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Beat together eggs and sugar until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
  3. Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder and vanilla and beat for another minute.
  4. Pour batter into lined cupcake tins, filling each tin ⅔ full.
  5. Bake for 18-20 minutes (or use a cake-tester).
  6. Allow to cool completely, then cut out a cone from the center of the cupcake.
  7. Discard cones and prepare filling. (For a cupcake filling tutorial, see this link.
Easy Vanilla Pudding Filling:
  1. Combine ingredients in bowl, and whisk for 2 minutes until mixture starts to thicken.
  2. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until very set.
  3. Fill each cupcake with a generous teaspoon of pudding.
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  1. Bring a small amount of water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan on the stove top.
  2. Whisk together egg whites and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer.
  3. Place the bowl of your stand mixer over rolling water (similar to a double boiler) and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy.
  4. Immediately transfer bowl to stand mixer and whisk on medium high speed until the eggs form stiff peaks AND the bowl is cooled to room temperature. This could take several minutes.
  5. Switch to the paddle attachment and add butter, two pieces at a time until incorporated.
  6. Continue to beat the mixture until it forms a smooth, silky frosting. If the mixture is runny or begins to curdle, do not fear - just keep beating until it comes together.
  7. Add vanilla and beat until incorporated.
  8. Using a piping bag fitted with a jumbo round tip, pipe a circle or dollop of frosting onto each cupcake. This layer should be flat and almost cover the entire top of the cupcake.
  9. Put cupcakes into the freezer to allow the frosting to harden (so it doesn't melt when dipped.)
  10. While cupcakes are freezing, prepare the chocolate dipping sauce (below.)
  11. Dip each cupcake into the chocolate, working quickly.
  12. Sprinkle the edges of each cupcake with a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles, and move back to the freezer to allow the chocolate to harden.
  13. Change the tip of your piping bag to a jumbo, closed-star tip.
  14. Pipe a small dollop on the top of each cupcake and top with a maraschino cherry.
Chocolate Dipping Sauce:
  1. Combine oil and chips in a microwave safe bowl.
  2. Heat for 30-60 seconds or just until chocolate begins to melt and soften.
  3. Stir until smooth. (You may also use a double boiler.)
  4. Do not overheat chocolate, heat it for 30 seconds and then 10 seconds at a time until desired consistency is met.
  5. Store finished cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
  6. Enjoy!
Recipe by Lemon Sugar at http://lemon-sugar.com/dipped-vanilla-sprinkle-cupcakes/