Beach Party Cupcakes
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The one thing I love about summer is there is more time to get the kids in the kitchen. These beach party cupcakes are the perfect treat to involve the kids. Or your older kids can even do these on their own.
During the summer, I teach local kids how to cook in my home. This is one of the items I am having my classes make this summer as part of my cupcake class.
You can always simplify this recipe using a boxed cake mix and canned frosting. However, if you can, it’s great to get the kids to learn cooking skills by making the easy cupcakes and frosting from scratch.
The cake recipe for simple vanilla cupcakes tastes fantastic. The homemade frosting is a simple buttercream recipe that I promise will taste way better than the stuff you find in a can at the store!
Ingredients to Make Beach Cupcakes
- FLOUR
- BAKING POWDER
- BAKING SODA
- SALT
- BUTTER
- SUGAR
- EGGS
- VANILLA EXTRACT
- BUTTERMILK
- POWDERED SUGAR
- MILK
- BLUE FOOD COLORING (I USED NEON)
- NILLA WAFERS
- PEACH RINGS
- TEDDY GRAHAM CRACKERS
- CUPCAKE LINERS
- PAPER UMBRELLAS
How to Make the Beach Party Cupcakes
Start by making the cupcakes.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and whisk together.
In another bowl, add the butter and sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating with the mixer for one minute after each egg is added. Add the vanilla in with the last egg.
Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat together on low just until combined. Add in the buttermilk and beat on low for 1 minute to blend in the butter. Then, beat on medium for an additional 3 minutes.
Divide the batter between 24 lined muffin cups. I like to use a cookie scoop for this. You want each muffin cup to be about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
For the frosting:
Add the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a bowl and beat together with an electric mixer. Then, add the milk a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to achieve the desired blue color.
Place the Nilla wafers into a food processor. Process until they become fine crumbs that look like sand.
To get that beach look, frost the cooled cupcakes with a thin layer of the blue vanilla buttercream frosting. No piping bag needed! Sprinkle the Nilla wafer crumb over 1/3 of the cupcake top creating the “sandy beach” on each cupcake. Then, place a peach ring on the “water” part of the cupcake.
Next, you want to put a Teddy graham into the center of each peach ring. However, you should do this just before serving. Otherwise, the teddy bear graham crackers will become soft.
Also, place a paper umbrella into the “sandy beach” part of the cupcake just before serving. It will work better to store or transport the cupcakes without the umbrellas in the cupcakes.
Aren’t these cute cupcakes? I promise the kids will also have so much fun making them! You could even use them as an activity at your next party this summer!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake them a day in advance. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, and frost them before serving.
How do I ensure my cupcakes are fluffy and moist?
Make sure to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour.
How can I make my buttercream frosting extra fluffy?
To achieve a fluffy texture, make sure the butter is at room temperature before beating it, and whip it well before gradually adding the powdered sugar
Are there alternative candies or cookies I can use to decorate the cupcakes with?
You can substitute crushed graham crackers or golden Oreos instead of the Nilla Wafers. Gummy lifesavers can be used in place of the peach rings. However, they are smaller and have a smaller center to place the Teddy Graham in. You can also use gummy bears instead of Teddy Grahams.
FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS, TRY:
- Partriotic Cupcakes made with a white cake mix
- Perfect Lemon Cupcakes
- Patriotic Funfetti Cupcakes
- Cupcake Shortcakes
Beach Party Cupcakes
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 ¼ cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
Frosting:
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 or so Tbsp of milk
Decorations:
- 36 Nilla Wafers
- 24 peach rings
- 24 Teddy Grahams
- 24 paper drink umbrellas
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together with a hand mixer for 3-5 minutes until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Add vanilla in with the last egg.
- Add the dry to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speen just until combined.
- Add in the buttermilk. Beat on low speed for 1 minutes, then on medium for 3 minutes.
- Divide batter between lined muffin cups. Fill 3/4 full and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
Frosting
- Beat butter in a bowl with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until combined. Gradually add milk to desired consistency, then color with blue food coloring.
Decorations
- Process Nilla wafers in a food processor into fine crumbs.
- Frost cupcakes with an even layer of blue frosting. Use a spoon to sprinkle Nilla wafer crumbs on one-third for the "beach."
- Add a peach ring to the “water” part of the cupcake. Place a Teddy Graham in each ring and insert a paper drink umbrella in the “sandy” part just before serving. Makes 24 cupcakes.
