Sweet Treats: Bubblegum Cupcakes

When I was little, I wasn’t allowed to chew gum.  And it pained me.  All my friends could have gum, but I couldn’t.  The one exception to this rule was bubblegum ice cream.  They sold it at an old fashioned ice cream parlor that was pretty close to our house, and on days when I was really good, my parents would take me there.  Each and every single time we went, I had the exact same order: Bubblegum Ice Cream.  It was sweet and pink and delicious and contained actual gumballs.  Sure, the gum was pretty tasteless and only lasted a matter of seconds (probably due to the fact that it was frozen solid in ice cream for long periods of time before actually being consumed), but it was the only gum I could have and that made it perfect.

Although my palate has definitely matured and I no longer live with a strict “no gum” rule, I still remember exactly how that ice cream tasted to this day.  So when a friend of mine mentioned that she’d had a bubblegum cupcake at a local event recently, I thought, “I have to make those.  Now.”  And so I went searching for a recipe.  What resulted are cupcakes that taste exactly like that ice cream from all those years ago, without the frozen gumballs…because, I really don’t need that part of the equation anymore.  All that can be said about this recipe is that it contains little nostalgia and a whole lot of deliciousness!
For the cake you will need:

White boxed cake mix and ingredients listed on the box

1/2 tsp Lorann Bubblegum extract (If you don’t want to head out to your local baking store, you might be able to find this at your local Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, or other craft store.  If all else fails and you don’t mind waiting, you can always find it on Amazon.)

6 drops blue food coloring

For the frosting you will need:

1 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 tsp Lorann Bubblegum extract

2 drops red food coloring

Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.

Step 2 – In a medium sized bowl, combine boxed cake and required ingredients using an electric mixer for 30 seconds on low then 2 minutes on medium speed.  Add bubblegum extract and blue food coloring and mix for an additional 2 minutes on medium speed.  You can always add more food coloring if you prefer your cupcakes to be a darker blue.

Step 3 – Pour batter into cupcake pan and fill 3/4 full.

Step 4 – Bake for 19 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Despite looking a little brown around the edges, my cupcakes came out perfectly moist.  I’m going to have to do a little more research to figure out how to avoid that browning in the future.  Perhaps it’s the food coloring that does it?  Anyone know why that happens?

Step 5 – In a medium sized bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy.  Add marshmallow creme and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined (approximately 2 minutes).  Add in confectioners sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes, or until smooth and well combined.  Add bubblegum extract and food coloring and beat for an additional 1 minute on medium-high speed.

Step 6 – Frost cupcakes, add sprinkles (because what isn’t better with sprinkles?), and enjoy!