Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes

After Joe brought those scrumptious Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise cupcakes to work, he got some requests from they guys. I guess that means they loved the cupcakes too! (I'm not kidding, I was opening up the tupperware container of the leftover cupcakes and taking deep breaths trying to remember the taste). There are some particular guys that he works with, one doesn't like peanut butter OR frosting. I don't know how he could possibly enjoy life without liking either of those, but I guess he's making it through.

One request Joe brought home was for red velvet and the other was for fruity pebbles cupcakes. Being a rebel I didn't want to stick with something conventional (at least not today). Plus I'm not huge on fruit flavored desserts so I knew I could resist them. Resistance was feudal... these fruity pebble cupcake concoctions were delicious.

These take on a banana bread texture and are very dense. The Fruity Pebble cake topped with the "milk" frosting reminded me of those cereal bars with the milk between the layers. SO good.. fruity and the frosting really does take on a sweet milk taste! Perfectly acceptable for breakfast.

Once again, I mixed and matched and changed things here and there to my liking... and the high altitude. This recipe yields about 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients

Fruity Pebble Cake: adapted from Key Ingredient
6 oz unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk (use 3 whole eggs if doubling recipe)
3/4 tsp baking powder (1 if not high altitude)
1/4 tsp baking soda (1/2 if not high altitude)
1 tsp vanilla
1 ripe banana (pureed)
1 1/4 cup flour
6 oz whole milk
1 cup Fruity Pebble Cereal


"Milk" Frosting: from Cupcakes Garden
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6 oz butter (softened)
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 (350 no high altitude)

Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy in mixer. Add egg and egg yolk 1 at a time and continue beating for 30 seconds. Add baking powder, baking soda and vanilla and mix until just incorporated. Puree banana (If you don't mind chunks just mash) and add to mixture, stirring by hand. Continue to mix by hand and take turns adding in flour and milk, beginning and ending with flour. (Optional: Put Fruity Pebbles in food chopper or mixer pulse a few times to get smaller pieces.) Add cereal to batter and stir until just mixed.

Lightly spray cupcake tin with cooking spray or line tin with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake tins about 3/4 full. You can be generous with the filling, these cupcakes take on more of a banana bread  consistency than a light cake batter so they do not raise as high.

Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes clean. (18-22 without high altitude)

To make the frosting, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix until well incorporated. If the frosting is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. You can sprinkle cereal on top like I did for this cupcake, or you can reserve a bowl of cereal on the side and dunk your cupcake in after frosting, totally up to you!  Make sure you wait until the cakes are COMPLETELY cooled before icing. Don't get overzealous like I did, or your icing will run down your cupcake and you'll be forced to wipe it off and probably eat it, then re-do the cupcakes so they are pretty.