Jelly Bean Cupcakes
Jelly bean cupcakes are simple vanilla cupcakes decorated with jelly beans inside and out. They are the perfect Easter dessert!
I cannot believe Easter is less than a month away! There are plenty of springtime dessert to be made, but I’m especially excited to start using Easter candy in my baking. Today I made jelly bean cupcakes!
It’s been awhile since I’ve made cupcakes (going as far back as Christmas maybe!) So I was excited to make these jelly bean cupcakes using my traditional vanilla cupcake recipe.
I wanted to make these simple vanilla cupcakes extraordinary for Easter though. So I took my classic recipe and went to town with the Starburst® Jelly Beans (I love the green apple flavor)
I scooped out a small hole in each cupcake and filled it with the Starburst® Jelly Beans. And if that wasn’t enough, I sprinkle more on top of the buttercream frosting.
Needless to say, if you are a jelly bean lover, then these cupcakes are for you!
To make scooping out the holes in the jelly bean cupcakes easier, I suggest using cupcake corer or a cookie dough scooper (like I did). Of course you can always eye ball it and use a knife or regular spoon. Each scoop was about one inch in diameter and about three-quarters of an inch deep.
Each hole fit about six to eight jelly beans—the perfect amount for a surprise when you bite into the cupcake!
Then to top it all off, some rich buttercream frosting. This is my go-to frosting recipe. It is the perfect ratio of butter to confectioners’ sugar to vanilla. It’s smooth, fluffy and rich.
If you don’t want to keep the jelly beans a total surprise, I suggest adding a few on top of the frosting as well. It’s a festive garnish and adds a nice pop of color!
Before you get to the recipe, here are some step-by-step photos of adding the ingredients to make the cupcakes and frosting!
Steps to make the cupcakes…
Steps to make the frosting…
Get the Recipe: Jelly Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cups (224 g) cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (56 g or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter,, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream , (or plain, low-fat yogurt)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) milk
- 2 cups jelly beans
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter,, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar,, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk (So it goes flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Mix until batter is uniform and smooth.
- Fill baking cups about 2/3 full and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack, and allow them to cool to room temperature before coring and frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter (with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer) until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar until completely incorporated.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the vanilla and salt, and beat for a minute, until fluffy. Add milk until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer frosting to a frosting bag fitted with desired tip (I used a large star tip).
Assembly
- Using a cupcake corer or spoon, scoop out a small hole about 1-inch in diameter and 3/4-inch deep in the center of each cupcake. Discard scooped out cake.
- Fill each cupcake with about 6 jelly beans. Top the cupcake with buttercream frosting and garnish with additional jelly beans if desired. Serve the same day for best taste.
Notes
Cupcake recipe adapted from Pastry Affair.
