Pillsbury Bold Cupcakes and Frosting

I’m always thrilled when I receive packages in the mail. However, when I get a Pillsbury® package, I’m extra giddy. Maybe it has something do that with that little Pillsbury Doughboy that I grew up with… or maybe it’s because they’re always coming out with new flavors and colors to celebrate with. Either way, this package did not disappoint.

Pillsbury has a new Funfetti® Bold Cupcakes and Frosting line and they want you to join in on the fun! All you have to do is show how you GO BOLD by uploading your baked goods/desserts via the Pillsbury Baking Facebook Page or Instagram using the hash tag #GoBold and tagging @PillsburyBaking between March 24-April 28th, 2014 for a chance to win some of the Pillsbury Funfetti and BOLD cake mixes and frostings prize packs. Eight winners are announced weekly, so get baking!

I chose to use the Funfetti Aqua Blue and Neon Yellow to make swirled cupcakes. Just look at how bright the batter is! I also chose not to use my mixer because it wasn’t necessary. A little manual labor works just fine.

I posted a sneak peak of them baking in the oven, and someone suggested that they were minion cupcakes. They could definitely be turned into minion cupcakes for a Despicable Me party!

I actually used these colors because I was brainstorming possible graduation goodies for my DF next month. We’ll definitely be celebrating his graduation then, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait that long to celebrate in general. These swirled cupcakes could be made for anything– celebrating a day at a UC school (go Bruins!), getting a good grade, or simply doing well on a presentation.

You could work celebrations into your every day life. There’s always something to celebrate, you just have to open your eyes and notice it.

These Pillsbury pouches are great for smaller amounts of guests since one bag makes 12 cupcakes instead of the usual 24, which is the standard for a boxed cake mix. It’ll also make one layer of cake rather than two. The pouches are made smaller so that you can get creative while baking. Make a rainbow cake or colorful cupcakes like I did here.

The directions say to fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter, but I like to live life on the dangerous side and fill them *almost* to the top. That way, I get a beautiful, tall, and rounded cupcake. The prettier the top is, the less frosting I have to use to cover it up. 🙂 This tip works great on muffins!

I also frosted them differently. One, I did the traditional way with frosting swirled on the top. The other, I cut in half and slathered frosting across the middle, like a sandwich. There’s no mess involved with your hands when you’re trying to eat it. It works great with the kiddos!

This is a sponsored post, but the opinions expressed are my own.

©/® The J.M. Smucker Company. Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license.