Springkles.

This entry was posted in Cupcakes and tagged Cream Cheese, Frosting, Funfetti, Recipe, Sprinkles, Vanilla Bean on April 3, 2012.

Spring is a time for new beginnings. It's when all life wipes the sleep from blurry eyes and timidly steps into the sunlight to greet the world. Windows are swung open, bicycles are dusted off, birds fly home, coats are shrugged off, flowers bloom.

It's time for spring cleaning! I decided it wasn't enough to just redecorate and reorganize my house. I want to do the same for myself. This calls for a little personal spring cleaning. So I got a hair cut, bought some shoes I desperately needed, commissioned an updated blog theme, began reading an incredible fantasy series, decided on a new hobby and started exercising again.

It's been a long winter and I've been hibernating for far too long. It's time to open some windows in my mind, let in the fresh air and grow some satisfaction.

As the seasons change so do we. What was once painted with dirty greys and murky browns is now injected with splashes of emerald, gold and sapphire, violet, cherry and rose. Like sprinkles on a daintily frosted cupcake.

Whether you have a colourful personality, a colourful garden or a colourful living room, now you can have a cupcake to match. Rainbow sprinkles through and through with double cream cheese because, like sprinkles, you can never have enough.

Definitely not on the Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 meal plan, but Double Cream Cheese Funfetti Cupcake have my vote!

Double Cream Cheese Funfetti Cupcakes Makes about 2 and a half dozen cupcakes.

Source: My imagination.

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 250g pkg cream cheese, room temperature 2 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 vanilla bean 3 1/2 cup flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup oil 1/3 cup rainbow jimmies

1 250g pkg cream cheese, room temperature 1 vanilla bean 3 – 4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Rainbow jimmies for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line 2 muffin tins with baking cups and set them aside.

In a large bowl an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated. Split open the vanilla bean lengthwise then scrape out all the seeds and add them to the bowl.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt then add it in thirds alternating between the milk and oil. Finally fold in the rainbow jimmies.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin tins then bake them for 20 – 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, start out by splitting open the vanilla bean lengthwise then scrape out all the seeds. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and vanilla seeds until it's light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until it's smooth and your desired consistency. Refrigerate the icing at least 30 minutes before frosting to stiffen it.

Frost each cupcake with a generous helping of the Cream Cheese Frosting using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Top them off with a sprinkling of rainbow jimmies and enjoy!