Sugar Cookie Dough Cupcakes!

I am always trying to think of a way to jazz up a classic vanilla cupcake recipe. Because I have such a wild and free spirit, even my husband is surprised to know that one of my ultimate favorite flavors is a classic fluffy vanilla cupcake.

Then again, if you also know me (the 40ish year old mom who wears a pink wig and glitter Uggs, who also named my daughter Rebel), I can’t just bake a vanilla cupcake with plain white frosting and be done. They have to sparkle, or sprinkle, fluff, swirl up high, and sing a flavor story that’s so memorable you’ll never look at a vanilla cupcake the same way again (a lot of pressure, I know!)

This process is how Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough Cupcakes were made in my kitchen!

The bottom of the cupcake is a dreamy vanilla/white chocolate flavor. The frosting is a scoopable sugar cookie dough (eggless). At night, after Rebel had gone to sleep, everything was quiet, and I was exhausted, these sugar cookie dough cupcakes were calling out to me all the way from my kitchen downstairs. My soul said, “Just eat the damn cupcake.” So I did. ♥ And it was amazing.

Here’s the recipe:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough Cupcakes
(Makes appx 15-18 cupcakes)

The Cupcake Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package of white chocolate (or vanilla) pudding in dry form
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups milk

The Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
6 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-5 cups powdered sugar

How to:
The Cupcake:
Preheat oven to 325. Place cupcake liners in pan. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, pudding). In stand mixer, whip creaming ingredients together (sugar, oil, eggs and extracts). Measure milk in liquid measuring cup. Once you have creamed the sugar mixture, alternate the addition of dry ingredients & the milk to the creamed ingredients until batter forms. Scoop into cupcake liners, and fill about 3/4 full. Bake at 325 for 22-24 minutes.

The Frosting:
**Note: If you’re nervous about consuming raw flour, microwave flour for 2 minutes before making the recipe OR bake at 325 in oven on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes.

In stand mixer, whip butter, flour, milk, and extracts together. Gradually add powdered sugar until peaks form or frosting is thick enough but also smooth enough to pipe. Everyone has a different preference for the amount of powdered sugar to add, but my rule is if it is still creamy but thick enough to pipe out of a piping bag!

Place desired tip in piping bag (I used a large french tip in photo above). Fill piping bag with cookie dough frosting. Sprinkle with sparkles or confetti. Eat the damn cupcake ♥.