Confetti Cupcakes with "Cupcake" Cupcake Toppers

When I saw these darling "Cupcake" Cupcake Toppers over on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen's blog, I knew I had to make them.  They were just too adorable.  And edible.  They are made out of mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  How cute is that?  And easy!

For the cupcake, I decided to make a Confetti Cupcake.  I used the recipe from my favorite go to cookbook.

Confetti Cupcakes

from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes

by Julie Hasson

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp non pariels or colored sprinkles

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined.  Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until smooth.  Mix in non pariels by hand.

Scoop batter into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.  Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

 Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup shortening, not butter flavored

3 tbls milk

2 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

2 lbs powdered sugar

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment beat butter and shortening on high until light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.  Mix in milk, vanilla and salt.  Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting is of the desired consistency for piping.  Using your favorite piping tip, pipe frosting onto cupcakes, sprinkle with your favorite decors and top with your mini "Cupcake" Cupcake Toppers.

"Cupcake" Cupcake Toppers

Unwrap the foil wrappers from enough mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to top your cupcakes. Leave the brown wrappers on so they look like mini unfrosted cupcakes.  Pipe a small swirl of frosting on top of each cup.  I used a Wilton #22 tip to pipe mine.  

The Mini Cupcakes waiting to top off the cupcakes.

Sprinkle with mini decors and top with a red ball candy.  Place on top of your frosted cupcakes.

Kids from 1 to 100 will love these cupcakes.  Enjoy!