Strawberry Jello-O Cupcakes with Vanilla-bean Cooked Flour Frosting

These cupcakes are completely bonkers. Moist, springy, flavorful, but not overly rich. They are based on my Apple Cupcakes recipe with a vanilla-bean version of Frances Frosting. The basic principle could be used with any flavor–and I’ve had it as a sheet cake with orange jello and mandarin oranges, which was fantastic. You can go 100% trailer trash and frost it with Cool-Whip, but I recommend the frosting variation below.

You can see the incredibly moist strawberry interior of a completed cupcake in the lower right.

1 recipe Apple Cupcakes (or other white or yellow cake)
1 package strawberry Jell-O
1 c. boiling water
12 strawberry fruit snacks for garnish
foil cupcake liners with paper lining
pink sprinkles
~2 c. frosting (see below)

Place the paper liners in the cupcake pan, saving the foil liners for later. Fill each cup to within 1/4″ of the rim. Bake as directed (22 minutes). Allow to cool to about room temperature in the pan.

Poke 10-12 holes in each cupcake. In a cup with a pouring spout, mix the package of jell-o with the boiling water until dissolved. Pour the hot liquid over each cupcake, trying to stay within the cup liner. Allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours in the fridge.

Remove the cupcakes from the pan, brushing off any extra Jell-O. Put the foil liners back on the cupcakes (if you’re into appearances, that is). Frost each cake with 1/3″ frosting and decorate with sprinkles and a strawberry gummy. 

3/4 c. milk
scant 2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 vanilla bean
1 pinch salt
1 stick (1/2 c. unsalted butter) at room temperature
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour and milk in a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the beans and add to the pan. Add a small pinch of salt. Bring just to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, whisking constantly for 10 minutes. The liquid should be a pourable porridge. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and then add in the powder sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. When the milk and flour are cool, beat in gradually, alternating with the vanilla extract. The resulting flour is light and fluffy, with a whipped cream flavor, but easier to work with and less likely to soggify your cake.