Bubblepop electric cupcakes

Pretty bright colours, gloss and electricity are all the rage with these bubblegum cupcakes! And they have a surprise bubblegum gooey centre! #MardiGras40

Bubblepop electric cupcakes Credit: Nick Makrides

• makes

  20

• prep

  1:15 hour

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Pink gelatin bubbles

• small balloons
• 28 g powdered gelatin
• 1 or 2 drops pink food gel
• 8 tbsp cold water

Cupcakes

• 429 g all-purpose flour
• 265 g caster (superfine) sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 375 ml of milk
• 125 ml vegetable oil
• 125 g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt (can substitute with sour cream)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp bubblegum essence (see Notes)
• 3 drops deep pink food gel (see Notes)
• mixed pink sprinkles. Anything you can find. The more the different kinds the better!

Bubblegum goo

• 250 g white cooking chocolate
• 250 ml thickened cream (at least 35 per cent fat content)
• 1 tsp bubblegum or strawberry essence
• 1 drop sky blue food gel

Frosting

• 1 batch fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting (recipe here)
• 1-2 drops sky blue food gel
• 1 tsp bubblegum or strawberry essence

You will need to begin this recipe one day prior.

Drying time: 24 hours

Instructions

Pink Gelatin bubbles (make the day before)

Attach blown up balloons to paper straw or cake pop sticks with tape. Gently coat each balloon with a little oil spray over each balloon and wipe it down with a paper towel.

Add water and gelatin to a microwave-safe bowl. Mix until well combined. Allow it to bloom (rest) for 5 min before you place it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, or until melted. Add pink food gel and mix until well combined.

Dip balloons into gelatin liquid making sure they’re coated evenly leaving the bit where the balloon meets the stick free of gelatin. You may want to coat these twice. Let the gelatin set on the first coat for 5 min, and then coat again. If the gelatin stiffens you can melt again in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Place the coated balloons standing upright in a cup or in a styrofoam block and allow to dry completely- about 24 hours.

To remove balloon, cut away from the stick and pull the balloon out from the bubble. You’ll need to cut away the bottom of the bubbles so they sit evenly on top of the cupcake. You can do this using a pair of scissors.

To make the cupcakes, preheat a fan-forced oven to 180°C (356°F) or 160°C (320°F) for a fan forced oven. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and salt. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well (alternatively you may do this by sifting the ingredients together). Add the softened butter and let it mix until it resembles a fine sand-like texture.

Next, add milk, eggs, yoghurt, oil and vanilla extract in a large jug and whisk well.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl, add bubblegum or strawberry essence and pink food dye and mix for another 20 seconds. You will need to scrape down the bowl again and mix until the batter is evenly coloured.

Fill each cupcake liner ¾ of the way (using an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process otherwise you can use two tablespoons). 

Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

To make the bubblegum goo, add white choc and cream to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Add blue food gel and flavouring and mix until well combined.

To finish off cupcakes, core the centre of each one and fill with bubblegum goo. Fit the end of a piping bag with a round tip and frost your cupcakes in a flat swirl as demonstrated in the video. Coat the frosting in pink sprinkles, starting with the top of the frosting and then work your way around the sides of the frosting.

Finish off by gently placing your gelatin bubble in the frosting.

Notes

• You can buy bubblegum essence from supermarkets.

• I use Americolour brand for my coloured food gels.

This recipe, photography and styling is by Nick Makrides from The Scran Line. For more check out his Instagram @thescranline.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.