This week I made these adorable dumpling cupcakes to celebrate the second episode of my digital series with the Food Network, Will Work for Food!

It’s kind of like dirty jobs, but all the jobs are in the food industry.

During this episode I worked with the incredible Yumpling team! I spent an entire day making Taiwanese street-food favorites like pork dumplings and crispy chicken sandwiches in their NYC-based food truck.

It was a fantastic day, and the dumplings were the star of the show in my eyes. In fact, they were so good that they inspired these cupcakes!

The Dumpling Filling – Vanilla Cupcakes

I used my one-bowl vanilla cupcake recipe to make a dozen of these dumpling cupcakes. If you want to make a smaller batch, you can totally halve the recipe to make 6 little dumplings.

I wanted these cupcake dumplings kind of like a mini dumpling cake, so I cut the cupcakes in half and filled them with frosting! This does make them a bit harder to frost, but I think it’s worth it.

You can omit that step to make them easier to frost though!

The Dumpling Dough – Off White Buttercream

Now that we have the dumpling “filling” figured out, it’s time to discuss the dumpling dough! Or in this case, the frosting.

I used my American buttercream on these dumpling cupcakes because it’s my favorite frosting to decorate with. However, any light-colored frosting would work. I added in 1 tsp of cocoa powder to make the frosting an off-white color.

Whether you prefer a different type like Swiss meringue or Russian frosting, or a different flavor like cream cheese buttercream, you can use whatever you like best!

Just be sure it has a light base so you can color it a bit, and that it’s stiff enough to be piped.

Smoothing the frosting onto each cupcake can be a bit challenging because they have curved sides. To make the process easier, I love to use acetate sheets.

I order my acetate sheets in big sheets on amazon and cut them down into smaller squares. An acetate sheet is essentially a thick piece of plastic that is flexible and can be bent and used to smooth a curved surface on a cake.

They’re a real lifesaver for sculpted cakes or cakes with rounded edges. Or for little dumpling cupcakes like this!

The Facial Expressions

After you’ve frosted the dumplings, it’s time to add their faces. This is where your imagination can really run wild.

The face of each little dumpling is what really defines it. Is it happy? Or feeling silly? Maybe it’s laughing?

All my dumplings were in a great mood! They were mostly happy, but a couple were surprised! I made they eyes and mouths by rolling out bits of black and pink fondant by hand.

Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand. I don’t recommend using straight almond flour though!
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cupcakes.
• Sour Cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe, so canola or even sunflower oil would work great! I advise against olive oil, as it doesn’t taste great with the almond extract.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.

Tips for Making These Dumpling Cupcakes

• Build each little dumpling on a small dessert round to make them easy to pop in and out of the freezer.
• Thoroughly chill the crumb coat of each dumpling to help them keep their shape for decorating.
• Use an acetate sheet to smooth the curved sides of the dumpling.
• Have fun creating the faces for your dumplings! That’s half the fun of making them!!

Making These Dumpling Cupcakes Ahead of Time and Storing Them

• You can make the cupcakes for these dumpling cupcakes in advance! The cupcakes can be frozen for up to a month if stored in an airtight container.
• You can also decorate the dumplings ahead of time! Once the cupcakes are fully frosted, the buttercream will lock in all the moisture. They keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try making these dumpling cupcakes, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Or if you share your creations on social media, be sure to tag me @chelsweets!

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