Soooo...if you haven't seen the movie Zootopia, you're may be thinking, "What is a night howler? Is this some new superfood I'm going to have to find? Ugh, that means I'm going to have to go to Whole Foods...but wait, can't I just order it through Amazon now?"

Ok maybe that's not going through your head, but what you should be thinking about is how fun and delicious these cupcakes are. Fluffy, moist vanilla-bursting cupcakes with a sweet, white chocolate ombre blue buttercream and wild blueberry syrup ready to infuse your cupcake with authentic fruit flavor. They also just happen to play right into our recent Zootopia birthday theme!

Zootopia Nighthowler Cupcakes

And just like that, we are two! Holy smokes. Two years, poof. And while two has definitely come with an all of a sudden onset of 'being two behaviors', I've heard three is worse so I'm trying to keep an open mind while secretly stashing these cupcakes in my closet to eat by myself in peace and quiet.

These cupcakes come with the Shea stamp of approval.

We recently celebrated Baby Shea's [not so baby anymore] 2nd birthday with a Zootopia themed bash. More to come on that later, but there were Gideon Gray Pie Pops, Bunny Burrow Salad, Sahara Square Sand Art, Nick Wilde's Rosé Push Pawp-sicles and a bounce house!!

Facebook videos don't scare me, that bounce house was the best money we've ever spent....and I may have sanitized the crap out of it...but still, it was the coolest for kids and adults alike.

To go with all the Zootopia themed food, naturally, we had to work in the nighthowler serum.  For the non-movie watchers it's pretty much the key element in the movie.

Hellooooo Zootopia Nighthowler Cupcakes.

The cupcake infusers were purchased via Amazon, because Amazon is everything. (And I'm thinking these infusers may have to make a reappearance for adults-only Bailey's infused cupcakes later.)

Moist vanilla cupcakes are a perfect pair for the blueberry syrup. On top of that deliciousness is a sweet, white chocolate buttercream. White chocolate is creamy and sweet and combined with juicy blueberries 'nighthowler' syrup and the mellow taste of vanilla cake. All around cupcake success.

Zootopia Nighthowler Cupcakes so good, they may just turn you savage 😉

Zootopia Nighthowler Cupcakes

Fluffy, vanilla cupcakes with sweet, white chocolate buttercream and a blueberry surprise on the inside!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cake

Keyword: blueberry filled cupcakes, disney themed desserts, zootopia themed

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Servings: 26 cupcakes

Calories: 398kcal

Author: Lauren

1x2x3x

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Ingredients

Blueberry 'Nighthowler' Serum

• ▢ 3 cup frozen wild blueberries ( 15-ounce package)
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Vanilla Cupcakes

• ▢ 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup warm water

White Chocolate Buttercream

• ▢ 3 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
• ▢ 10 ounces white chocolate (melted and cooled)
• ▢ 3 cup confectioners sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Instructions

Blueberry 'Nighthowler' Serum

• In a large saucepan, combine ingredients and stir together over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Raise to medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to ensure mixture does not burn.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Strain mixture through a fine mesh colander and let cool completely.
• To fill the infusers, squeeze out all air and insert the end of the infuser in the strained blueberry syrup.  Release pressure on the infuser bulb and blueberry syrup will fill the tube.  Repeat 2 to 3 times until the infuser tube is full.

Vanilla Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake tins with liners.
• In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix to combine.
• On low speed, add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract.  Mix on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl if necessary.
• With mixer off, add warm water then bring speed to low.  Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until batter is the same consistency throughout, stopping to scrape sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.
• Fill cupcake liners ½ way with batter.  Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.  To test, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcakes.  If the toothpick come out clean, or has just a few crumbs sticking the cupcakes are done.
• Remove from baking tins and allow to cool before frosting.

White Chocolate Buttercream

• In a double-boiler, melt baking chocolate.  Allow to fully cool before prepare remaining frosting ingredients, about 20 to 30 minutes.*
• On medium speed in a standing mixer, beat butter with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy.**
• Reduce speed to low, add 1 cup confectioners then mix on medium speed.  Repeat two more times, scraping sides of bowl if needed.
• Working in two batches, slowly add half the melted, cooled chocolate and mix on medium speed.
• Optional: Divide frosting into three separate bowls.  Using blue liquid food coloring, die each bowl different levels of blue - 3 drops, 6 drops and 10 drops.  Mix each bowl thoroughly.
• Transfer buttercream to a large piping bag fitted with a large round open tip.  To create the tie dye/ombre effect, fill the bag mixing the different colored frostings by using half of each bowl at a time.***

Notes

*If chocolate is added before it is fully cooled frosting will be soft.  If frosting is too soft, allow to sit for 30 to 45 minutes before use.  As the chocolate cools the frosting will stiffen.

**A handheld mixer can be used in place of a standing mixer.

***E.g. A large scoop from the darkest blue on one side of the bag, a smaller scoop from the medium blue on the other side of the bag, a large scoop from light blue, etc.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 371IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg