Copycat Molly's Cupcakes Recipe

Last week I went to Molly's Cupcakes in Chicago (they also have locations in NYC & Iowa City). I was instantly hooked & named it my new favorite cupcake spot in the city. Knowing I would be spending the next month in Cleveland, where they do not have a location, I became obsessed with figuring out the secret recipe. 

My first thought when I took a bite into this cupcake was how eerily familiar the center cake batter tasted. I knew I hadn't tried the cupcakes before & wasn't sure why it tasted so familiar. Then it hit me, it tasted exactly like boxed funfetti cake mix sans eggs & sprinkles! That's when I decided I needed to figure out the recipe for myself. 

This recipe is truly catered to those of you who don't professionally bake & just want to eat a great cupcake. I even went as far as using a turkey baster to remove the center of the cupcake instead of using one of those fancy gadgets that do it for you. Now if you have one of those tools or want to go buy one, by all means, go for it! For the rest of us who are too lazy & want a cupcake NOW, this recipe is ready for ya.

A few boxes of cake mix & tons of flour & sugar later, I now present to you, what I think, tastes exactly like a Molly's Cupcake!

Ingredients:
for the cupcakes:
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup funfetti cake mix
3/4 cup buttermilk
sprinkles & tons of them!

for filling:
2 cups funfetti cake mix, sifted so that no sprinkles are used
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup & 2 tbsp oil
3/4 stick butter

for frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
blue food coloring
sprinkles, to top

Supplies:
2 large mixing bowls
whisk
cupcake liners
2 cupcake trays (on sale!)
electric mixer (handheld mixers are optional & work great too; both on sale!)
turkey baster
frosting bag
round frosting tip (I used 12 Wilton)
sifter

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 345 F. 

Step 2:
In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients & mix until smooth. Line cupcake tray with liners. Fill liners 3/4 full with batter.

Step 3:
Bake 12-16 minutes or until toothpick is inserted & comes out clean.

Step 4:
While the cupcakes are baking make the filling. First, sift the boxed cake mix over the large mixing bowl to eliminate the sprinkles. Combine all filling ingredients in another large mixing bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Step 5:
After cupcakes have been removed from the oven, place them in fridge for 10 minutes or until completely cooled.

Step 6:
In electric mixer, combine butter & salt. Mix on medium speed until fluffy. Sift in powdered sugar one cup at a time & continue beating on medium speed.

Step 7:
Add vanilla, heavy whipping cream, & food coloring to frosting & mix on high until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.

Step 8:
Remove the suction top from the turkey baster & use that end with the wider hole to cut inside out of cupcakes. Place the baster in the center of the cupcake, twist, & pull inside of cupcake out! 

Step 9:
Place filling inside each cupcake. Put frosting inside bag & top each cupcake with frosting & sprinkles. 

Step 10:
Enjoy!