Malibu Bay Breeze Cupcakes - Gluten Free

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow cake mix
• Cranberry Juice (your favorite – sweetened)
• Ingredients listed on cake box (you will not need the water)

For the Filling

• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 can crushed pineapple in its juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Frosting

• 1 cup of buttery spread (such as Earth Balance), softened
• 5 C. powdered sugar (give or take)
• 1/4 C. Malibu Rum (or coconut rum of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Red Food Coloring
• Sweetened coconut flakes (for optional garnish)
• Cherries with stem (for optional garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. Prepare Betty Crocker gluten free cake mix, replacing the water with cranberry juice. Bake cupcakes following package directions. Remove from cupcake pan and let cool completely.
3. Heat cranberry juice, pineapple, sugar, and cornstarch on medium-high heat until boiling, stirring often until mixture thickens and loses the “milky” appearance. Remove from heat to cool.
4. Fill a plastic sandwich bag with cranberry pineapple mix. Pipe into center of cupcakes. Push your (clean) thumb into the center of the cupcakes to make room for the filing. Be careful you don’t push all the way through the bottom of the cupcake.
5. Cream buttery spread until smooth. Add powdered sugar and rum alternately until desired consistency is reached. Color with a few drops of red food coloring until you get the desired color you want. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with sweetened coconut flakes and top with a cherry.