"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" Cookie Dough Cupcakes

By MidlifeMommyAdventures

These amazing cupcakes were the center of attention at our most recent family movie night. The ease of a box mix plus the addition of the flavored syrup gives it a custom taste with minimal work and the cookie dough flavored home made buttercream frosting is to die for.

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 1 Box Yellow Cake Mix (for the main cupcake)
• 1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix (for the "meatball")
• Approximately 1/2 Cup Torani Belgian Cookie Flavored Syrup
• 6 Eggs (+ or - according to box mix)
• Oil (amount depends on which box mix you use)
• Water
• Frosting:
• 2 Sticks Butter (room temp, but not melted)
• 2 Cups Powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Torani Belgian Cookie Syrup
• "Marinara Sauce":
• 1/2 to 3/4 Cup Strawberry Jam (with seeds)

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the Devil's Food cake and bake it, in a long cake pan, according to the directions on the box then set aside to cool.

While the Devil's food cake is baking, you can prepare the main cupcakes.

Prepare the yellow cake mix according to the package directions, except substitute the Torani syrup for half the water. (If the box calls for 1 cup water, you would use 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup syrup)

For this recipe, I used large silicone muffin cups, not regular sized cupcake liners, but you could definitely use them if you need to serve a larger group.

While the cupcakes are baking, you can make the frosting.

Cream the butter, with an electric hand mixer, until it is light and fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, add the Torani syrup and beat again until light and fluffy.

After the Devil's Food cake is cool, crumble half the cake into a bowl and mix in 1/2 cup of the frosting until it is well absorbed.

Roll the cake/frosting mixture between your hands, making approximately 1 inch balls, set aside on a piece of wax paper and place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours.

To assemble the cupcakes:
Level the tops of the cupcakes with a sharp, serrated knife. Set aside these tops for a fun snack for the kids, for later.

Using a piping bag or a plastic baggie with a small cut in the corner, pipe on the "spaghetti" in squiggly lines, covering the entire top of the cupcake. (no crumb coat is necessary, unless you just want to do it)

Prepare the "marinara" sauce by gently melting the strawberry jam over low heat.

Using an appetizer fork (I found mine at World Market for about $1 a piece), roll the "meatballs" in the strawberry jam, using a spoon to coat well, if necessary.

Spoon a small amount of the jam over the center of the frosted cupcake, add the "meatball" and give it a little smush to make sure it's on there good.

The heat from the warm jam will melt the frosting just enough to make it "stick".

You can sift a little powdered sugar on the finished product, just be sure to wait until it is completely cooled, or else it will melt.

There you have it, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" cookie dough cupcakes.