I have to admit that I initially had mixed feelings about doing a Duncan Hines review. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to eat sweets and baked goods. I’m quite good at it, in fact. But, what I’m not good at is baking or finding the time to bake. But, when I looked through the recipes on Duncan Hines and I thought, “Even I can do that.” And then, “Yum, that looks freaking good.” Fast forward to last weekend and I tackled the springy and kid friendly Captivating Caterpillar Cupcakes!
Baking with Duncan Hines
With a box of Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Classic White Cake Mix and Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting in the hands of my trusted little assistant we gathered some basic ingredients and set to make and decorate our cupcakes. Preschool Boy is totally getting into helping me in the kitchen and was very excited about our joint project. The recipe (online and on the side of our cake mix) was different than the standard cake mix because it called for egg whites. Now, this was really testing the limits of my baking ability, but I did manage to get 3 egg whites into the mix without any pesky shell or yolk getting in the way.
After distracting my son long enough for the cupcakes to bake and cool, it was time for decorating and turning our plain white cupcakes into colorful caterpillars. Vanilla frosting with a few drops of green food coloring became grass, crushed cookies turned into dirt and M&Ms and jelly beans transformed into caterpillars. We had so much fun! Even my husband got in on the action and helped my son and I decorate the cupcakes.
Captivating Caterpillar Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Classic White Cake Mix
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup star decors (I didn’t have these so we left them out)
- 1 tub Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
- green food coloring
- 10 to 12 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (I used chocolate graham crackers)
- 1/2 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces
- 1/3 cup assorted jelly beans
- assorted nonpareil decors (and I did not have these so our caterpillar eyes are lame)
- Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.
- Combine cake mix, egg whites, water and oil in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in 1/3 cup star decors. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350 ºF. 18 to 23 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.
- Tint vanilla frosting with green food coloring. Frost one cupcake. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon chocolate cookie crumbs on frosting. Arrange 4 candy-coated chocolate pieces to form caterpillar body. Place jelly bean at one end to form head. Attach remaining star and nonpareil decors with dots of frosting to form eyes. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
To Bake or Not to Bake
To Bake… I’m so glad I took the time to bake and decorate with my son. And that my husband wanted to join in the fun. We really had a good time making caterpillars. It was hysterical to see my son’s personality come out – notice the caterpillar with no “dirt”, that was his caterpillar. The recipe was easy to follow, used basic inexpensive ingredients and it required no real skill on my part. It’s a winner!
Or Not to Bake… We simplified a few things
Shop! Duncan Hines cake mixes and frostings are available in grocery stores pretty much everywhere. Happy baking!
Win! A Spring Baking Basket from Duncan Hines!
Prize details: The gift basket includes Duncan Hines products used in this recipe, as well as some fun baking supplies including an oven mitt, cupcake tray. The ARV is approximately $50.00.
How to Enter: Visit Duncan Hines, check out the recipes and leave a comment with something you’d like to make.
Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.
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Lily Kwan
May 7, 2010I became a fan of Duncan Hines on Facebook.
Lily Kwan
May 7, 2010I became your Facebook fan.
Lily Kwan
May 7, 2010I subscribed by email.