Happy Nat'l Cupcake Day - Dr. Seuss Cupcake Recipe!

December 15th is National Cupcake Day - hooray!

To celebrate, and as a special holiday gift from me to you, I'm going to give everyone the Dr. Seuss cupcake recipe.

If you've read IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES, you know that Isabel visits a cupcake shop in New York City and there she decides to try the Dr. Seuss cupcake. It's a secret what's in it, until she tastes it! Here's an excerpt from IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES:

     I reached down and took a bite. First I tasted chocolate. Then I tasted something sweet and crunchy. Jelly beans! But there was something else I couldn't quite figure out.
     
     I sat there chewing and thinking. "I know. Bananas! Chocolate, jelly beans, and bananas. It's so good! It's like they threw a bunch of stuff into a bowl, not sure how it would turn out, and surprise, it turned out fantastic!"

I get asked for recipes from the book all the time, but this recipe is the one kids wanted to have the most. So, I went to my kitchen, and tried to come up with something using the ingredients I came up with as I wrote the book. See, there really wasn't a Dr. Seuss cupcake when I wrote the book.

But now there is!! Here's the recipe - enjoy!

Dr. Seuss Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups granulated white sugar 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed) 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

2 large eggs 

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 medium sized bananas) 

1/2 cup warm water 

1/2 cup milk 

1/2 cup canola or corn oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

24 Jelly Belly jelly beans in flavors that will compliment, like banana, vanilla, tutti-fruiti, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven. Line 24 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with a non-stick vegetable spray.

Take the jelly beans and carefully chop each one into 3-4 pieces with a sharp knife. This is something an adult should do. (If you don’t chop them in to pieces, they’ll sink to the bottom and burn.)

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Carefully pour the batter into the muffin cups, about 3⁄4 full. Stick just a few pieces of jelly beans on top, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting. Makes about 24 regular sized cupcakes.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2 cups (16 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature 

5 cups powdered sugar 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Whip the butter on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice. (If you have a stand mixer, use the wire whisk attachment). Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. After all of the powdered sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, continuing to mix. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Pipe onto cupcakes. Top with a slice of banana and/or chocolate sprinkles and/or a jelly bean.