The crumb is tender enough to yield without crumbling, moist enough to hold a sucker stick upright. That’s the trick to making super mario bros.
cupcakes with free printable toppers that actually work for a party, no dry cake, no slideshow frosting. Buttermilk and a short bake build that structure, but the real test comes when you push that stick in: it should meet gentle resistance, not sink into mush.
Get that right, and the rest is just piping and sprinkles.
Buttermilk’s role
Buttermilk does two things here. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda in the cake mix, which gives the crumb a finer, more tender structure than water or plain milk would. That tang also brightens the chocolate flavor, you taste cocoa, not just sweetness.
And with only 15 minutes in the oven, moisture is critical. Buttermilk keeps the crumb from drying out while the cupcakes bake through.
The result is a soft, springy texture that holds up to piping and a sucker stick.
Sucker sticks and toppers
These change a standard cupcake into a handheld party snack. The sucker stick becomes a handle, guests can pick up the cupcake without getting frosting on their fingers.
The paper topper, taped to the stick, does the thematic work: Mario, Luigi, a mushroom. No special pans or colored batters needed. The tape has to hold through serving, so press it firmly.
Once the stick is pushed into the frosted cupcake, the whole thing stays upright on a tray or in a treat bag.
Why sprinkles go on right away
Freshly piped frosting is tacky. That tack grabs rainbow sprinkles on contact, so you don’t need glue or a second layer of frosting. If you wait even a few minutes, a thin skin forms on the surface of the buttercream, and sprinkles bounce off or sit loosely.
Immediate application gives you full coverage and a clean look. The sprinkles also add a little crunch against the smooth frosting, which contrasts with the tender cupcake beneath.
You see the color, you feel the texture.
Prep: 5 min · Cook: 15 min · Total: 20 min · Servings: 24
Choosing the right buttermilk and oil
buttermilk: Use full fat buttermilk, not low fat, for the most tender crumb and richest chocolate flavor.
vegetable oil: Neutral oil like canola or grapeseed works; avoid olive or coconut which will change the flavor.
rainbow cupcake liners: Standard size 2.5 inch liners; grease them lightly if they aren’t nonstick so the cake releases cleanly.
vanilla frosting: Canned frosting is fine; if using homemade, make sure it’s stiff enough to hold a swirl without flattening.
Bake and decorate these handheld Super Mario cupcakes
Mix the batter
Combine cake mix, buttermilk, oil, and eggs in an electric mixer. Blend on low until just combined, then scrape the bowl. The batter should be thick but pourable, if it looks curdled, you overmixed; next time stop sooner.
Fill the liners
Use an ice cream scoop to divide batter evenly among 24 liners, filling each about two-thirds full. The batter should mound slightly in the center; if it’s flat, you underfilled and the cupcakes will be short.
Bake until done
Bake at 350°F for 15 to 17 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If it’s wet, bake another minute.
The tops should spring back when pressed lightly.
Cool completely
Remove cupcakes from pans and cool on a wire rack until room temperature. If they’re warm, the frosting will slide off. You’ll feel no residual heat on the bottom of the liner.
Pipe the frosting
Fit a 16-inch disposable bag with a 1M star tip and fill with vanilla frosting. Pipe a swirl starting from the outside edge, working inward, and finish with a slight pull upward. The swirl should hold its shape; if it flattens, the frosting is too warm.
Add sprinkles immediately
While the frosting is still tacky, sprinkle rainbow sprinkles generously over each cupcake. If sprinkles bounce off, you waited too long, the frosting has skinned. Work in batches so the tack doesn’t fade.
Attach toppers
Tape a sucker stick to the back of each paper topper, pressing firmly. Push the stick into the center of the cupcake until the topper sits upright. The stick should feel snug; if it wobbles, the cupcake is too soft inside.
Super Mario Bros. Cupcakes with Free Printable Toppers
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 c buttermilk
- 1/2 c vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 24 rainbow cupcake liners
Frosting and Decoration
- 2 cans vanilla frosting 16 oz each
- 1 disposable frosting bag 16 inch
- 1 1M star frosting tip
- rainbow sprinkles
- 24 sucker sticks 4 inch
- 24 Super Mario Bros. cupcake toppers printed and cut out
Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven and line tins:
Set oven to 350°F (175°C). Arrange 24 cupcake liners in two muffin tins.Mix batter and bake cupcakes:
In an electric mixer, blend cake mix, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly among the 24 liners, filling each roughly 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Take the cupcakes out of the pans and let them cool fully on a wire rack.
Frosting and Decoration
Pipe frosting and add sprinkles:
Fit a frosting bag with a 1M star tip and fill it with vanilla frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cooled cupcake. Immediately sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.Attach toppers and serve:
Attach a sucker stick to the back of each cupcake topper with tape. Push a topper into the center of each cupcake. Serve and enjoy.
Storage and Serving
Assembled cupcakes are best eaten within a few hours of decorating. The frosting stays soft, the sprinkles stay crunchy, and the cake is at its most tender. If you need to make them ahead, store the baked, unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Frost and decorate just before serving. Once decorated, leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigeration stiffens the buttercream and dries the cake slightly.
Bring refrigerated cupcakes to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving to soften the frosting and revive the crumb. Freezing is not recommended for assembled cupcakes; the frosting can separate, and the sprinkles may bleed color. You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 1 month, wrapped individually in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag.
Thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Tips
- Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion batter; it fits the liner at two-thirds full and keeps all cupcakes the same size, so they bake evenly in 15 minutes without some doming too high or others staying flat.
- Line the muffin tins with liners before mixing the batter; then as soon as the batter is ready, scoop and fill immediately. Letting batter sit in the bowl can cause the buttermilk’s acid to react with the baking soda prematurely, reducing lift and creating a denser crumb.
What you can swap in these cupcakes, and what you shouldn’t
buttermilk: 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, stirred and left to sit for 5 minutes until curdled. The acidity reacts with the baking soda just like real buttermilk, so the crumb stays tender and the chocolate flavor stays bright. The cupcakes will be slightly less tangy, but you won’t taste a difference in the finished cake.
vegetable oil: Melted unsalted butter (use same amount, then cool to room temperature). Butter adds a richer flavor, but it solidifies at room temperature, so the cupcakes will feel denser and a bit less moist than with oil. They’ll still be tender, just not quite as soft.
vanilla frosting (canned): Homemade buttercream (use a recipe that yields about 3 cups, stiff enough to hold a swirl). Homemade frosting tastes less sweet and more buttery. It pipes the same way but can soften faster in a warm room.
If it’s too soft, the swirl will flatten; you can chill the piped cupcakes for 10 minutes before adding sprinkles.
chocolate cake mix: Gluten-free chocolate cake mix (same weight, follow the mix’s own liquid adjustments if any). Gluten-free mixes often bake up more crumbly and less springy.
The cupcakes may not hold a sucker stick as firmly, and the texture will be more sandy than tender. Still tasty, but the structure is different.
First time I used water and baked 18 minutes, dry as dust. Next time I used buttermilk and pulled them at 15, they were tender and moist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Yes, but only partway. Bake the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost and decorate the day you plan to serve them, the frosting stays soft and the sprinkles stay crunchy only for a few hours after decorating.
Why did my cupcakes turn out dry?
Most likely you overbaked them. At 350°F, start checking at 15 minutes; the toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the toothpick is completely dry, they’ve been in too long.
Another culprit is overmixing the batter, stop as soon as it comes together to avoid a tough crumb.
How do I keep the toppers from falling off?
Press the tape firmly to attach the sucker stick to the topper, then push the stick straight into the center of the cupcake until it feels snug. The cake should be tender but not so soft that the stick wobbles. If the cupcake is still warm, the frosting will slide, so make sure they’re fully cooled first.
