Indulge in the ultimate treat: these delightful yellow cupcakes crowned with a creamy, dreamy frosting crafted from actual Milky Way candy bars. A true masterpiece for any candy bar enthusiast, these Milky Way Cupcakes promise an unforgettable taste experience. Get ready to elevate your dessert game!
Craving more innovative recipes featuring your favorite candy bars? Don’t miss this luscious Almond Joy Candy Bar Filled Chocolate Bundt Cake or this surprisingly delightful Snickers Salad. Each offers a unique way to enjoy those classic flavors!
Unveiling the Magic of Milky Way Cupcakes: A Dessert Dream Come True
Imagine biting into a soft, fluffy cupcake, only to be met with the unmistakable taste of a beloved candy bar in the frosting. That’s precisely the magic we’re bringing to your kitchen today with our irresistible Milky Way Cupcakes. This recipe is more than just a dessert; it’s a nostalgic journey, transforming a classic candy into an extraordinary topping for a timeless treat. If you’re a true connoisseur of candy bars and a lover of all things sweet, prepare to be captivated.
This particular recipe holds a special place in our hearts. It’s a revisited gem, originally created over three years ago during a period of collaborative recipe development. Rediscovering these notes recently was like unearthing a culinary treasure chest, and this Milky Way Cupcake recipe immediately stood out. The combination of a perfectly moist yellow cupcake base and a truly unique, decadent frosting made it an absolute must-share.
The Perfect Canvas: Crafting Your Yellow Cupcake Base
While a convenient box mix can certainly be used in a pinch (and we won’t judge!), our preferred method for these Milky Way Cupcakes involves a reliable, from-scratch yellow cupcake recipe. This foundational recipe has been tried and tested countless times, consistently delivering light, airy, and moist cupcakes that serve as the ideal canvas for our indulgent frosting. The subtle sweetness and tender crumb of these homemade yellow cupcakes perfectly balance the rich, complex flavors of the Milky Way frosting.
To achieve cupcake perfection, it’s essential to master a few key steps. Combining your dry ingredients thoroughly ensures an even distribution of leavening agents. Creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy introduces air, contributing to the cupcake’s tender texture. Incorporating eggs one at a time creates a stable emulsion, and alternating the dry mixture with buttermilk helps prevent overmixing, which can lead to tough cupcakes. The goal is a delicate balance, resulting in a cupcake that is both sturdy enough to hold its frosting and delightfully soft to eat.
The Star of the Show: Indulgent Milky Way Frosting
Now, let’s talk about the real showstopper: a frosting made directly from Milky Way candy bars. Yes, you read that correctly! This isn’t your average buttercream; it’s a smooth, rich, and wonderfully sweet concoction created by melting down actual Milky Way bars with a few simple additions. The nougat, caramel, and chocolate from the candy bar infuse the frosting with an unparalleled depth of flavor, making it distinctively delicious and utterly unique. This candy bar frosting transforms a simple cupcake into an extraordinary dessert experience.
The process might sound unconventional, but it’s surprisingly straightforward. Utilizing a double boiler method ensures the candy bars melt gently and evenly, preventing scorching. The combination of melted Milky Ways, butter, and milk creates a luscious base. Once removed from the heat, vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor profile, and powdered sugar is then beaten in to achieve that wonderfully smooth, pipeable consistency. The result is a glossy, spreadable frosting that’s bursting with the nostalgic taste of your favorite treat. It’s a testament to the fact that candy bars + cupcakes truly equal one awesome cupcake!
Tips for Mastering Your Milky Way Cupcakes
Creating these delightful Milky Way Cupcakes is an enjoyable process, and a few expert tips can ensure your baking success:
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For both the cupcakes and the frosting, ensuring your butter, eggs, and buttermilk (for cupcakes) are at room temperature will help them combine more easily and create a smoother, more uniform batter and frosting.
- Don’t Overmix: When preparing the cupcake batter, mix only until ingredients are just combined. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to dense, tough cupcakes.
- Cool Completely: This is crucial! Before applying the frosting, your cupcakes must be completely cool. Warm cupcakes will cause the delicate Milky Way frosting to melt and slide off.
- Double Boiler Technique: When melting the Milky Way bars, use a heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Ensure the bowl does not touch the water. This gentle heat will melt the candy bars smoothly without burning. Stir frequently to achieve a consistent, lump-free mixture.
- Frosting Consistency: The Milky Way frosting thickens as it cools. For the best piping results, let it cool for about 10-15 minutes after making it until it’s barely warm to the touch. This allows it to set slightly, making it easier to handle, but still spread beautifully. If it becomes too firm, you can gently rewarm it over the double boiler for a few seconds.
- Creative Garnishes: While optional, topping each frosted cupcake with a small, chopped piece of Milky Way candy bar adds both visual appeal and an extra textural element that highlights the star ingredient.
Frequently Asked Questions About Milky Way Cupcakes
- Can I use a store-bought cake mix for the cupcakes?
- Absolutely! While our homemade yellow cupcake recipe is fantastic, a good quality yellow or vanilla cake mix will work perfectly as a shortcut. Just follow the package directions for preparing the cupcakes.
- Can I make the Milky Way frosting ahead of time?
- Yes, you can. Prepare the frosting as directed, let it cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature and then gently rewarm it over a double boiler or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring frequently, until it reaches a spreadable consistency. You might need to beat it again with a hand mixer to restore its smoothness.
- How should I store these cupcakes?
- Store Milky Way Cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, or for longer storage, you can refrigerate them. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
- Can I use other types of candy bars for the frosting?
- Experimentation is encouraged! Different candy bars will yield different flavors and textures. Bars with a soft caramel or nougat center, similar to Milky Way, would likely work well. Chocolate bars or those with a high fat content might also melt effectively, but the final consistency could vary. It’s best to try a small batch first!
- My frosting is too thin/too thick, what should I do?
- If your frosting is too thin, you can try adding a bit more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If it’s too thick, add a tiny splash of milk (1/2 teaspoon at a time) and stir until it loosens up. Remember, the frosting thickens as it cools, so consider the temperature.
More Cupcake Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Cravings
If you’ve fallen in love with these Milky Way Cupcakes, you’ll adore exploring other delicious cupcake creations from our kitchen:
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Key Lime Cupcakes
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
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Milky Way Cupcakes
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Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Milky Way Frosting:
- 12 oz (about 12) fun-sized Milky Way candy bars
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- additional chopped or cut Milky Way candy bars for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line 18 cupcake tins with paper liners.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
- Add one-third of the flour mixture, beat to combine, then half of the buttermilk. Repeat with another third of the flour and the remaining buttermilk, followed by the remaining flour, beating just until combined between each addition.
- Divide the mixture between the 18 cups, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely.
- To make the frosting, bring a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water to a simmer. Combine the candy bars, butter and milk in a large heat-proof bowl and set over the simmering water. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the candy bars have melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until the mixture is smooth. (You can do this by hand as well, but it will be a little more difficult.)
- Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes until just warm to the touch. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. It’s easiest to pipe it from the middle and let the frosting spread out to the edges a bit. Immediately top with a candy bar piece.
Recipe Notes:
*The frosting sets up more as it cools. If you frost the cupcakes immediately, it will spread and probably drip off the side of the cupcakes. I like to wait 10-15 minutes, when it is still barely warm, as it will still slightly spread but not much at all. If you want it set up even more, you can let it sit even longer before piping it onto the cupcakes.
Frosting recipe originally posted on Betty Crocker