Cupcakes with Surprises Inside

Hi everyone!

I was sitting outside, enjoying this lovely day...and dreading the arrival of the 17 year cicadas that are about to hit DC! 

When they're alive, I think they're kind of cool.  BUT.  Once they die, the ground will be covered with a jillion (exact number) dead carcasses.  Ugh.  It will be a feast for the birds, foxes, and deer that live in the huge wooded park across the street, but stepping outside turns into a disgusting, crunchy experience!

Apparently, they're edible, and I've seen lots of recipes online for cicada sushi, cicada brownies, chocolate covered cicadas, etc.  Trust me, you will see none of those on my blog!

That has nothing to do with the recipe today - just thought I would share what's about to happen in Washington, DC!

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Today's recipe is for Cupcakes with Surprises Inside, also known as stuffed or filled cupcakes.  I did two versions - one filled with strawberry frosting, and one filled with Nutella.

The cupcake wrappers I used hint at what's inside:

 

 

Just make your favorite vanilla cupcakes (I use this recipe).  When they're cool, carve a well in the very center of the cupcake.  I have a handy-dandy cupcake corer, but you can easily do this with a knife:

 

 

For the strawberry filling, use a package of freeze-dried strawberries...just put them in a Ziploc bag and bash them with a rolling pin.  (If you want a finer size, just use a food processor.)

 

 

 

Then take the powdery strawberries and mix them with a cup and a half of your favorite vanilla frosting (I use this one).  Put the resulting mix into a piping bag, and you're ready:

 



All you have to do is put the piping tip into the cupcake divot and squeeze until it's full.  If you use a little too much, just scrape off the excess with a knife.

For the Nutella-filled cupcakes, I just used a spoon to fill them up:

Then frost the cupcakes with the frosting of your choice - I used a vanilla frosting for the strawberry filling, and a cream cheese frosting for the Nutella-filled.  It really helps to use a piping bag so you don't smear the filling.  (For an easy piping tutorial, check out my Piping Frosting - Tips and Tricks post.)

Drum roll please.........

 

Voila - beautiful cupcakes with a surprise inside!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial - these would make great gender-reveal cupcakes for a baby shower, wouldn't they?  Just use pink or blue frosting to show everyone that you're having a boy or girl!

I'm headed back outside, to enjoy the cicada-free yard while I can,
- Sugar Baby