These cupcakes are pretty crazy. First off, their cake is a super light, moist vanilla bean funfetti donut (the batter is to die for). Secondly, they are topped with a smooth vanilla frosting. Finally, they are finished with crispy and crunchy funfetti brown butter cookie chunks. This dessert might sound over-sweet, but it barely is at all––the cookies are almost savory (due to the recipe's brown butter), the frosting is more tangy than sugary (a credit to the salt), and the cake is a little less sweet than normal cake. I promise that the hard work that goes into these cupcakes, whose recipe I've adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar, Tutu's, and Sweetapolita, will be well worth it! They are absolutely amazing.
Side note: You should split up making these over two days and make the cookies on the first day (be sure to cover them), and the cupcakes and frosting the next.
Clown Cupcakes
Krispy funfetti cookie crumbs (adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar):
2 sticks of butter, separated and softened
¼ cup of brown sugar
½ a cup of white sugar
¾ teaspoons of kosher salt
¾ teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1.5 tablespoons of tiny colored round nonpareils
1 cup of Rice Krispies
Donut funfetti cupcakes (adapted from Tutu’s):
¼ cup of buttermilk
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 whole large egg at room temperature
1 vanilla bean scraped (I suggest adding an additional teaspoon if you like a strong vanilla flavor)
3 cups of cake flour
½ cups of sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of baking powder
¾ teaspoon of salt
8 tablespoons of butter softened but still cool, cut into cubes
¼ cup of shortening
¾ cup of milk
1/8th-1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/8th-1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon (these two ingredients are for the donut flavor)
1/3rd-1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles (Use rainbow jimmies. The round candy sprinkes called for in the funfetti cookie recipe above will melt in the batter and ruin the color––trust me, I did this and the result looked gross.)
Frosting (adapted from Sweetapolita):
9 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
¼ cup of vegtable shortening
3 tablespoons of cream cheese
1.5 tablespoons of corn syrup*
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 -1 ¼ cups of confectioner’s sugar
½ a teaspoon of kosher salt
Pinch of baking powder
*Usually I would never use corn syrup but it helps cut the intense sweetness of the powdered sugar and gives the frosting a glossy shine
1. Start with the cookies! Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Take one of the sticks of butter and place in a pan. Turn the heat up to medium and swirl the butter in the pan continuously until the butter starts to smell nutty and there are many tiny, slightly brown bubbles. Please be careful, the difference between brown butter and burnt butter is a matter of seconds. You may also see brown butter on the sides of the pan. Immediately turn off the heat and move pan off of the burner. Let cool for 5 minutes at room temperature and another 3-4 minutes in the fridge.
2. While the butter is cooling, mix the other stick of butter, the salt, the brown sugar, and the white sugar in a standing mixer until smooth and a little fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the brown butter with the mixer on medium low and make sure to add all the little brown bits at the bottom of the pan. It will melt the butter that has already been beaten slightly. (That is good.) Mix
Side note: You should split up making these over two days and make the cookies on the first day (be sure to cover them), and the cupcakes and frosting the next.
Clown Cupcakes
Krispy funfetti cookie crumbs (adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar):
2 sticks of butter, separated and softened
¼ cup of brown sugar
½ a cup of white sugar
¾ teaspoons of kosher salt
¾ teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1.5 tablespoons of tiny colored round nonpareils
1 cup of Rice Krispies
Donut funfetti cupcakes (adapted from Tutu’s):
¼ cup of buttermilk
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 whole large egg at room temperature
1 vanilla bean scraped (I suggest adding an additional teaspoon if you like a strong vanilla flavor)
3 cups of cake flour
½ cups of sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of baking powder
¾ teaspoon of salt
8 tablespoons of butter softened but still cool, cut into cubes
¼ cup of shortening
¾ cup of milk
1/8th-1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/8th-1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon (these two ingredients are for the donut flavor)
1/3rd-1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles (Use rainbow jimmies. The round candy sprinkes called for in the funfetti cookie recipe above will melt in the batter and ruin the color––trust me, I did this and the result looked gross.)
Frosting (adapted from Sweetapolita):
9 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
¼ cup of vegtable shortening
3 tablespoons of cream cheese
1.5 tablespoons of corn syrup*
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 -1 ¼ cups of confectioner’s sugar
½ a teaspoon of kosher salt
Pinch of baking powder
*Usually I would never use corn syrup but it helps cut the intense sweetness of the powdered sugar and gives the frosting a glossy shine
1. Start with the cookies! Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Take one of the sticks of butter and place in a pan. Turn the heat up to medium and swirl the butter in the pan continuously until the butter starts to smell nutty and there are many tiny, slightly brown bubbles. Please be careful, the difference between brown butter and burnt butter is a matter of seconds. You may also see brown butter on the sides of the pan. Immediately turn off the heat and move pan off of the burner. Let cool for 5 minutes at room temperature and another 3-4 minutes in the fridge.
2. While the butter is cooling, mix the other stick of butter, the salt, the brown sugar, and the white sugar in a standing mixer until smooth and a little fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the brown butter with the mixer on medium low and make sure to add all the little brown bits at the bottom of the pan. It will melt the butter that has already been beaten slightly. (That is good.) Mix