Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes
These tender, fluffy, moist Fruity Pebbles cupcakes burst with the colorful mix of your favorite childhood cereal. These cupcakes will make any day a celebration, especially when topped with Fruity Pebbles buttercream frosting!
Ingredients
Cereal Milk
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 2 cups (72 g) Fruity Pebbles cereal
Fruity Pebbles cupcakes
- 1 3/4 cups (207 g) cake flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt diamond crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (123 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 3 (100 g) large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 1/2 cup cereal milk
- 1 cup Fruity Pebbles cereal
Fruity Pebbles Buttercream
- 2 tablespoons Fruity Pebbles cereal crushed
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups (552 grams) cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cereal milk, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; use about half as much by volume or the same weight for table salt.
Instructions
Cereal Milk
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the cereal and the milk and let it sit for at least 20-30 minutes for the milk to absorb the flavor from the cereal.
- Pour the milk/cereal mixture into a sieve set over a medium-sized bowl, and with the back of a spoon, press on the cereal left in the sieve to get as much of the cereal milk out as possible.
- Measure out ½ cup of the cereal milk for the cupcakes. Set the remaining milk aside for the frosting.
Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 6 liners—this recipe makes about 18 cupcakes. Set aside.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the egg whites, oil, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
- With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not over-mix.
- Add the cup of Fruity Pebbles and fold into batter.
- Spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Fruity Pebbles buttercream
- Grind 2 Tablespoons of fruity pebbles into fine crumbs (I use my small food processor). Set aside
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. .
- Add vanilla extract, milk and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until combined.
- Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes.
- Add crushed Fruity Pebbles and mix on low until incorporated through the buttercream.
- Transfer to a piping bag.
- Pipe a large dollop of buttercream on each cupcake. I used Wilson tip #1M piping tip.
Notes
Measure your flour correctly. The most frequent error in baking is incorporating excessive flour. I always use a kitchen scale for precise measurement. Lacking a scale? Stir your flour to fluff it up, lightly spoon it into your measuring cup, and level the surface with the back of a knife for accurate measurement.