Frappuccino cupcakes...

It's birthday season around here again, and on Monday Bobby will be 14!

I've posted some of the sweets and treats I've made for the kidlets before.  Awhile back, Bobby asked me to make him some frappuccino cupcakes for his birthday.  Luckily, you can find ANYTHING on the Internet.

I found a DElicious looking recipe made all from scratch.  However, I have had a ton of things to get done, and did not feel up to tackling that one.  So I dumbed down the amazing inspiration recipe (found here) to fit my schedule and energy level.

I started by baking chocolate cupcakes from (gasp!) a mix.  Then I used this little gadget to hollow out their middles.

Very nifty, eh? 

I set the middles aside for later. 

For the filling I used a package of Jell-o Mousse (chocolate flavor) made to the package directions, except that I added one packet of Starbuck's VIA Iced Coffee. 

I placed the mousse in a large Ziplock bag, and snipped off one corner...

...and thus piped each cupcake center almost full. 

When they were all filled... 

...I took the reserved middles, and cut the bottoms off, so that they could sit atop the filling. 

Then I corked them back into the top of each cupcake. 

For the frosting, I used two containers of prepared Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Frosting Starter, one envelope of Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Caramel flavor, and a packet of Starbuck's VIA Caramel instant coffee.  I mixed those together, and then I added enough confectioners sugar to get a stiff consistency to the frosting. 

I clipped a corner of another large Ziplock bag and put a star decorator tip in and secured. 

Now, maybe everybody but me knows this, but I just learned it, so I'm passing it on.  I used to try to hold the bag open with one hand and fill it with the spatula in the other hand, and I always had a big sticky mess.  Then I saw somewhere to put the tip down into a container (I used a big travel mug) and fold the top down over the top and sides of the container.  Then fill the bag with frosting, and lift the still clean top of the bag up and twist it closed to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.  It worked like a charm. 

I made little Starbuck's cupcake wrappers...drizzled the top with prepared caramel topping...and put on a few chocolate sprinkles for good measure.  Now they are all stored in air-tight containers in the fridge until Bobby and family come over tomorrow.  Pretty cute, huh?