If you are what you eat, I should have made these a long time ago.
These tart lemon cupcakes have bursts of Nerd flavor as you bite into them. The frosting is a buttercream flavored with a bit of Tropical Punch Kool-Aid liquid. It’s fruity and delicious, whether or not you consider yourself a nerd. Best of all? They’re pretty ridiculously easy to make.
Nerd Cupcakes
Author: Tara Theoharis
Ingredients
- Box of Lemon Cake Mix
- Ingredients listed on the cake mix box (usually oil, water, and eggs)
- A box of Rainbow Nerds (about ½ cup)
- 3 cups (6 sticks) of unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 TBS Tropical Punch Kool-Aid Liquid (comes in a tiny squeezable container)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven per the cake box instructions. Line 24 cupcake cups with wrappers.
- Mix together the cake mix and the ingredients listed on the back of the box.
- Once it’s fully mixed, fold the Nerds into the cake batter.
- Fill the cupcake wrappers ⅔ full with the cupcake batter.
- Bake according to instructions on the back of the box, or until cupcakes are golden and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool on a baking rack while you prepare the frosting.
- Place the butter in a mixer and mix until light, smooth, and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing in between each cup.
- Using a spatula, scrape the sides and the mixer and mix again until butter and sugar are fully mixed.
- Add the Kool-Aid liquid and mix on low until incorporated.
- Mix at a higher speed for a couple minutes until frosting has an even consistency and appears light and fluffy.
- Add more Kool-Aid to taste, mix thoroughly.
- Using a large pastry tip, frost the cooled cupcakes. Top with more Rainbow Nerds.
Enjoy!
I can’t wait to try this–especially, the frosting! YUM!
Oh my goodness, this sounds sooo delicious! The pictures are great too! 🙂 I’d love to try it someday.
Gosh those sound amazing!! Nerds are one of my favorite candies 😀
Just wanted to thank you for this idea! I made some mini cupcakes using my own lemon cake recipe, and also my own buttercream frosting recipe, but added the nerds to the batter and the Kool-Aid liquid to the frosting. Oh man were they good! I actually made them for an 80’s themed party, and they were a huge hit. The tropical punch frosting is quite genius in my opinion! I never would have thought to do that, and it really is perfectly tart, like a Nerd. Thanks again!!
Yum!