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My Mexican Pink Cupcakes recipe was inspired by my Mexican Pink Layer Cake recipe. It’s virtually the same just with a little more frosting and you don’t need a fork to eat it!
The traditional Mexican Pink Cake is a simple but tasty buttermilk-vanilla cake. Next, it’s covered with fluffy pink frosting and garnished with colorful nonpareils.
I stayed traditional on the cake and frosting flavor but added a vanilla bean pastry filling and topped each cupcake with a vibrant maraschino cherry.
Cupcakes
You’ll love how this cake melts in your mouth! It’s light and tender and moist thanks to the sour cream. Plus it’s made with the reverse creaming method which creates a tender but sturdy cake with an ultra fine crumb.
Vanilla Bean Pastry Filling
This vanilla bean pastry filling comes together pretty quickly and is easy to make. But take note, it does require time to chill and set up so plan accordingly. Leftover pastry cream makes perfect pudding desserts.
Pink Frosting
Wilton’s Pink gel coloring works great in this frosting. A little goes a long way. TIP: The coloring gets deeper the longer it sits, so keep that in mind when adding the coloring to the frosting.
Cupcake Assembly Tips
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners with batter.
- Use a three tablespoon sized spring loaded ice cream scoop to keep the consistency. This helps the cupcakes bake all at the same time.
- Use a small paring knife to hollow out each cupcake for the filling.
- Using a piping bag to fill the cupcakes keeps things clean and precise.
Cupcake Decorating Tools and Supplies
- 3 12-cup cupcake pans
- Cupcake liners
- Stand mixer
- 4 cup liquid measuring cup
- 12 inch piping bag
- Coupler
- Wilton Pink gel food coloring
- 18 inch piping bag
- Ateco piping tip #828
- 36 maraschino cherries
Maraschino Cherry Tips
- Place the cherries in a sieve and rinse under cold water.
- Pat the cherries dry with paper towels and let sit on the counter to dry out while you prepare the frosting and during the cupcake assembly process.
- The above steps helps keep the excess cherry juice from dripping over your cupcake frosting.
Mexican Pink Cupcakes Baking Schedule
- Day 1: Prepare filling and chill.
- Day 2: Bake cupcakes.
- Day 3: Make frosting, assemble and serve.
Make Ahead
- Pastry filling can be made up to 3 days in advance.
- Cupcakes can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
- Frosting is best made the day of assembly.
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Suggested Recipes
Mexican Pink Cupcakes
Mexican Pink Cupcakes made with buttermilk cake filled with vanilla bean filling and topped with fluffy pink frosting and sprinkles.
Ingredients
SPECIAL TOOLS
- 3 12-cup cupcake pans
- Cupcake liners
- Stand mixer
- 4 cup liquid measuring cup
- 12 inch piping bag
- Coupler
- Wilton Pink gel food coloring
- 18 inch piping bag
- Ateco piping tip #828
- 36 maraschino cherries
CUPCAKES
- 3 cups (12 ounces/345 grams) cake flour
- 1 3/4 cups (12.25 ounces/350 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks/227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces/120 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
PASTRY CREAM FILLING
- 2 cups (16 ounces/454 grams) half and half
- 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/ 99 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and reserved
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup/1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
FROSTING
- 2 cups (454 grams/16 ounces)unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) shortening
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 1/2 cups (26 ounces/734.5 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces/227 grams) heavy cream
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Pink gel food coloring
Instructions
CUPCAKE
- Adjust one oven rack to the center position and the other to the lower center position. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 3 12-cup cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment attached, add the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix on low speed to combine.
- Add the butter one tablespoon at a time to the mixer bowl, beating on low speed until all the butter has been incorporated, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- In a 4 cup liquid measuring cup, add the egg whites, vanilla extract, buttermilk and sour cream and whisk to combine.
- Add half of the buttermilk mixture into the mixer bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Add the remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds until combined.
- Divide the cake batter between the prepared cupcake pans using a 3 tablespoon sized spring loaded ice cream scoop and bake for 20 to 30 minutes (rotate cake pans a little over halfway through baking. The cupcakes on the lower rack may need a few more minutes in the oven), or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Let cupcakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto cooling racks to cool completely.
PASTRY CREAM
- In a medium saucepan, add half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla bean seeds and salt to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, combined the egg yolks, cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in about 1 cup of the half-and-half mixture into the yolk mixture to temper. Slowly whisk in the tempered egg mixture into remaining half-and-half mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream is thick and bubbles start to pop on the surface, about 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the butter. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours or up to 2 days.
FROSTING
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter, shortening and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and almond extract and slowly mix until combined, about 1 minute.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Add pink gel food coloring and mix on low speed until combined.
ASSEMBLE
- Using a pairing knife, cut out a cone of cake in the center of each cupcake. Trim the cone section off of the cone of cake and discard. This leaves the circular top of the cake to place back on to the cupcake after it’s filled. Fit a 12 inch piping bag with a coupler and fill with pastry cream filling. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each cupcake and place the circular flat section of cake back on top.
- Fit an 18 inch piping bag with Ateco piping tip #828 and fill with frosting. Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle each cupcake with rainbow nonpareils and top a maraschino cherry on top of each cupcake.
Notes
Pastry filling can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Cupcakes can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
Frosting is best made the day of assembly.
Assembled cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or 3 days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 976Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 948mgCarbohydrates: 132gFiber: 5gSugar: 94gProtein: 11g
*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*