Semi-Homemade (But Totally From a Box) Watermelon Cupcakes

Watermelon Cupcakes

Inspiration is like lighting. When it comes, it’s strong and bright. But you have to catch it at exactly the right moment. And hopefully funnel that inspiration into a brilliant and original project or recipe. The proverbial “lighting in a bottle.”

This is not one of those times. This time, my lighting actually came in a box. A box of Betty Crocker watermelon cupcake mix. I saw it on the shelf at Target and decided I had to make it. So I did. And it was delicious.

Before you ask, no, the Betty Crocker company has nothing to do with me writing this post. I just wanted to share my cupcake experiment to show that boxed cake can still look (and taste) impressive. Especially if you find ways to put your own spin on it. I made the cake as directed on the box, but I definitely wasn’t into the overly-artificial taste of the coordinating watermelon frosting (from a can of course). So I made a half-batch of my favorite buttercream recipe from Billy’s Bakery in NYC (leaving out the vanilla), then mixed it together in my stand mixer with the watermelon stuff.

I love how my little improvisation lightened the flavor of the frosting a bit, and made these boxed cakes my own. Plus it made the frosting go a little further (There’s never enough in one can, is there?). Friends said the frosting was the best pat of these cakes. And it totally smelled like Bubblicious watermelon bubble gum. A.K.A.: Amazing.

Watermelon Cupcakes

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