INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 bag (8 ½ oz bag) CHEETOS® Crunchy FLAMIN’ HOT® Cheese Flavored Snacks
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole (3.25%) milk, at room temperature
- Frosting:
- 4 oz brick-style cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ½ cups confectioners’ (icing) sugar (approx.), sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In food processor, pulse CHEETOS® Crunchy FLAMIN’ HOT® Cheese Flavored Snacks until finely ground to make 1 ¾ cups; transfer to medium bowl and set aside.
- In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In large bowl, using handheld electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, incorporating the first fully before adding the second. Beat in vanilla.
- With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of milk, and scraping bowl as needed between additions, until blended. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center of a cupcake. Let cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- Frosting: In clean food processor, pulse cream cheese and cheddar cheese until blended and smooth. Add butter and pulse until blended, about 1 minute. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. (If frosting is too soft, chill in refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.)
- Assembly: Using paring knife, without cutting all the way to bottom or sides of cupcakes, cut out 1-inch well from top of each cupcake, reserving cut-out portions for another use.
- Fill each well with 1 tbsp crushed CHEETOS®; press with back of spoon to pack tightly.
- Spoon or pipe frosting over cupcakes. Sprinkle with remaining crushed CHEETOS®.
