We had so much fun with our Message Cake that we couldn’t resist whipping up these surprise inside cupcakes. What’s the surprise? Cut open the red velvet cupcake and you’ll find a star inside.
What’s really sweet is that the star is made out of sugar cookies!
Star Surprise Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cookies
1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 egg
Cake
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist red velvet cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
Frosting
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
1 cup butter, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
3 cups powdered sugar
Directions
Make the cookie stars:
Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/3 cup butter, flour and egg until soft dough forms.
On floured surface, roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 92 cookies with a 1 to 1 1/4-inch star cookie cutter. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 1 inch apart.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Bake the surprise inside cupcakes:
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Make cake batter as directed on package. Place paper liners in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Fill one paper liner with batter to 3/4 full (this cupcake will be crumbled and used as a garnish later). Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cake batter into the bottom of the remaining 23 paper liners.
Place a row of 3 cookie stars in middle of liners standing up in the batter. Mark the paper liner to identify the front of the cupcake. (We like to make a small cut in the paper liner to mark the front.)
Carefully spoon two heaping tablespoons of the remaining cake batter on top of the cookie stars being careful to not tip them over.
Bake cupcakes 22 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, remove to cooling rack, cool completely.
Decorate the cupcakes:
For frosting, in large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, 1 cup butter and 1 tablespoon of the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar. Add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed until fluffy and spreadable.
Pipe or spread frosting on the 23 cupcakes that have the cookies inside.
Use the mark you made on the paper liners to find the front of the cupcakes. Place remaining cookie stars on top of cupcakes with the front of the cookies facing the front of the cupcakes. That way people will know which direction to cut (or bite) into the cupcake to see the star.
Make cake crumbs by crumbling the remaining cupcake (the one that does not have cookies inside) into a small bowl. Sprinkle cake crumbs over cupcakes.
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes | Total Time: 2 hour 10 minutes | Makes: 23 cupcakes
Surprise!