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It wasn’t until I read Christina Tosi’s, Momofuku Milk Bar: A Cookbook, nearly a decade ago, that I learned about cereal milk. The idea of infusing milk with cereal is the perfect way to infuse familiar cereal flavors into baked goods. These Fruity Pebble Cupcakes are inspired by the cakes in that book, and also by my littlest, who came up with the idea of these cupcakes for her birthday. These Fruity Pebble cupcakes are tender, fluffy and moist, infused with Fruity Pebbles flavor, filled with strawberry jam and topped with light and fluffy whipped vanilla Fruity Pebbles buttercream.
Cereal Infused Milk
Steeping the milk used in both the cupcakes and the buttercream with the cereal will infuse the milk with all that familiar Fruity Pebbles flavor. Combine the cereal and the milk and let it sit for 45-60 minutes for the milk to absorb the flavor from the cereal. The milk will change to a light orange color. Pour the milk/cereal mixture into a sieve set over a measuring cup, 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 for optimal flavor.
How to make Fruity Pebbles cupcakes
These cupcakes are quick and easy to prepare. Room temperature ingredients are key to a perfect cupcake. The egg, egg white, oil and vanilla extract are combined together in bowl and whisked to mix. The dry ingredients – cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt – are mixed together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Room temperature butter is mixed into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. The cereal milk is added just until the flour mixture is moistened, then the batter is whipped for a full 90 seconds. This aerates and stabilizes the batter for fluffy cupcakes.
The remaining milk is mixed in with the egg/oil mixture. The egg/oil mixture is added to the batter in two additions, scraping the bowl after each addition. Be sure to scrape the bowl when noted to make sure the ingredients are being thoroughly incorporated.
Whipped Fruity Pebble Buttercream
This whipped vanilla cereal milk buttercream is super light and creamy. Whipping the butter and the confectioner’s sugar first, then whipping the buttercream after the milk, vanilla and salt are added ensures a light and creamy frosting, rather than a dense and cloying frosting. Whipping the buttercream also makes it smooth and not grainy as some American style buttercream can be.
Assembling the Fruity Pebble Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are completely cool, assemble the cupcakes. Using a small paring knife, at an angle, cut a cone out of the center of the cupcake, about halfway down the cupcake. Cut the cone off of the removed piece to make a lid that will sit on top of the filling. Fill the cupcakes with a heaping teaspoon of strawberry jam and place the lid on top. Alternatively, you can use a cupcake corer. This is the one I use.
Pipe or spread the filled cupcakes with buttercream. Sprinkle the top with some Fruity Pebbles cereal.
If you make these Fruity Pebble Cupcakes, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more cupcake recipes, check out these posts:
Maple Bacon Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes
Funfetti Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cereal Milk
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal
Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups (175g) cake flour
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup cereal milk
- 1 large egg white
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup strawberry jam
Fruity Pebbles Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons cereal milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup Fruity Pebbles cereal
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Heat the oven to 350F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a measuring cup, combine the egg, egg white, vanilla and oil. Whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix on low speed for a minute to combine.
- With the mixer still running, add in the softened butter pieces. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You should be able to gather a bit in your hand, squeeze and you have a solid piece. This means the butter is evenly distributed.
- With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the milk, mixing JUST until the flour mixture is moistened. You will not use all the milk at this time. Pour the remaining milk into the bowl with the eggs and oil, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium and whip for a full 90 seconds. The mixture should be whipped up, thick, and lighter in color.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
- With the mixer speed on low, add the egg/oil/remaining milk mixture in two additions, scraping down the bowl after each addition has been mixed in.
- Once all the wet ingredients have been added, give the bowl a final scrape and mix with a spatula.
- Bake the cupcakes for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a crumb or two when inserted in the center of the cupcake. Don't over bake.
- Place the baked cupcakes on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the hot cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a hole into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a space for the strawberry jam. The piece you removed will be the shape of a cone.
- Spoon the strawberry jam inside each carved out cupcake. Fill the cupcake with the filling to the top, about a heaping teaspoon full. Slice off the pointy end of the cone piece you removed so that it can fit on top of the filling. Place on top of the filling.
Make the buttercream:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter and confectioner's sugar for 6-8 minutes on medium speed until very light and fluffy.
- Add in a pinch of salt, cereal milk and vanilla. Whip for another 5 minutes.
- Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle Fruity Pebbles on top of each cupcake.
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