By Kelly Bogard

Big Red was created in my hometown of Waco in 1937.  We Wacoans are proud of our Big Red, and we can go through barrels of it during a hot Texas summer. As a kid, I remember helping my grandma make Big Red Ice Cream, my granddaddy’s favorite.

Now that I have my own daughter, I had an idea to combine one of my childhood memories with one of her favorite sweets–cupcakes.  The result? Big Red cupcakes–a definite hit at our house!

I usually like to bake from scratch, but this time I decided to go with a semi-homemade version to keep things simple and quick.

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.  Go ahead and get the cupcake liners in the pan during that time.  mixing ingredientsTrust me, it will save time later.  The recipe makes approximately 24 cupcakes.

Dump all of the ingredients, minus the Big Red, into a big bowl or stand mixer.  Mix until well blended.  Once everything is combined, slowly add the Big Red.  It will start to fizz as you pour it in, so be sure to add it slowly.

Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds’ full of batter and bake for 12-15 minutes.  The cupcakes I made were perfectly golden after 14 minutes. finished bakingOnce they are done, remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool completely.

While you are waiting for the cupcakes to cool,  prepare the icing.  Slice and mash the strawberries into a puree.  You can use a food processor if you want, but I prefer to have the texture of the strawberry bits.  Cream the butter until it is light and fluffy.  It will lighten up in color, indicating it’s ready.  icing ingredientsI don’t recommend using margarine for this.  You’ll end up with icing so greasy it will slide right off the cupcakes.

The next step is to mix in the vanilla.  Now, add  powdered sugar, one-half cup at a time, to the creamed butter.  In between sugar inclusions, add a small amount of the Big Red as it combines.  Remember to add the Big Red slowly.  Once the mixture is blended, add in the strawberries.  Mix just enough to get some into every bite.

Finally, pipe or spread the icing onto the cooled cupcakes.  The fluffy, moist cakes, with a hint of Big Red in the cupcakes and icing, is a great combination and is sure to brighten anyone’s day.  Enjoy!

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Big Red Cupcakes

cupcake stand

Big Red Cupcakes

Cupcake ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 box (4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup Big Red
  • 2 dozen standard-sized cupcake liners

    • Cupcake instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Prepare 24 cupcake liners in muffin tins.
  • Mix all ingredients until well blended, less the Big Red.
  • Add Big Red slowly until everything is combined.
  • Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full with the batter.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes.
  • Remove from muffin tins and allow to cool completely.

    • Icing ingredients

  • 3 large strawberries
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup Big Red

    • Icing instructions

  • Slice and mash strawberries into puree or blend in food processor.
  • Cream butter with mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Add vanilla and mix well.
  • Add 3 cups powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, interchanging with Big Red until blended completely.
  • Add strawberries and mix well.
  • Pipe or spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.

    • If the frosting is runny, add additional powdered sugar until the desired consistency is reached.

    Cooking time (duration): 1 hour

    Meal type: dessert

    Culinary tradition: USA (Southern)

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