Neon Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes - Easy Recipe

Q: What do you do when its your friend's birthday and you are preggo and therefore can't go out for drinks or do pretty much anything fun?

A: Make NEON FRUITY PEBBLES CUPCAKES!

A few days ago a dear friend of mine, Scott, celebrated his big 25! Since I am *still* pregnant and I couldn't do cocktails or go anywhere because I'm a waddling penguin at this point, I made him cupcakes using his favorite cereal. 

When we were in college Scott would eat a box of Fruity Pebbles a week. We used to keep a box for him at our house so that he didn't have to keep schlepping cereal back and forth from his apartment. Now that he is out of college and a real life actor, he pretty much never eats Fruity Pebbles. Got to look good for all those auditions! So, I made a diet decision for him. Birthdays are for indulgence, and Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes are just that.

These cupcakes are really simple to put together. You can use your own recipe for a white cake (this one is really good), or use a box. Make your own vanilla buttercream (click here for a recipe) or get a jar. It really doesn't matter. Totally up to you and the amount of effort you are willing to put into your cupcakes.

I will say that I used a yellow cake recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book, and I was not a huge fan of how it turned out. It was pretty dense and not quite what I wanted. But, I have made these before with a box cake mix and they turned out perfectly.

You can also make up the cake batter and separate it into two bowls. Add 1 cup Fruity Pebbles to one of the bowls and leave the other bowl to just be regular white cake.  That way you have more tasting options!

Neon Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes

• White or yellow cake batter, prepared (homemade or box)
• 2 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal
• Vanilla buttercream frosting (homemade or tub)
• More Fruity Pebbles cereal for decorating

Once the batter is prepared according to the recipe, fold in 2 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal. Follow the recipe and instructions for filling the cupcake liners and for baking. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. 

Frost with vanilla buttercream and top with Fruity Pebbles. 

Frosting Tip: Put the frosting into a large zipper bag, cut the tip off of one corner and use as a piping bag to squeeze frosting onto cupcakes.