Easy Swirl Cupcakes- A Wacky Colorful Kid Friendly Treat

We're officially into Spring. Yay!  I love spring.  I love the happiness and colors that come with Spring.  I also love the great Spring snowstorms I'd get in Colorado and Utah to provide some fabulous skiing and snowboarding.  I do love Spring; I just wish AZ would think Spring temperatures should be 70 degrees rather than 90 degrees.  Such is the AZ life; I'm just still getting used to it.  

I figured some Crazy, Wacky, and Colorful Swirl Cupcakes were the perfect recipe to share with you today.  These cupcakes are made from a box, but enhanced with the perfect flavors.  No one will even guess these aren't homemade from scratch.  

The colorful and crazy swirls on top are so simple to do that even my preschoolers could help, and they even picked the colors and swirled them into the cupcakes themselves.  

I also love that we don't have to add frosting to these gorgeous cupcakes.  The frosting free cupcakes look beautiful and they help cut the calories.  Does the lack of frosting give me freedom to call these are "skinny" cupcakes? ;)

Easy and Wacky Swirl Cupcakes
Recipe: Alohamora 
Active Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 18-24 cupcakes

Ingredients: 
1 white cake mix
cake box ingredients (oil, water, and egg whites)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
food coloring

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
2. In a medium to large bowl mix the dry cake mix with the ingredients and amounts listed on the box as well as the almond extract and vanilla extract until the batter is mostly smooth.  You may have a few lumps.  You can use a whisk or a fork to help you smooth out the batter.  
3. Use a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake liners already in the pan.
4. Place 1 to 2 drops of food coloring in each cupcake.  Use a toothpick to swirl the food coloring into the top of the cupcake.  You don't want to mix the food coloring too much.  Just a few circles or dashes around the cupcake will look great.  
5. Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or a thumb/finger press bounces back on top of the cupcakes.
6. Allow the cupcakes to cool and enjoy!
7. Store cupcakes in a covered container on the counter. 

Happy Spring and Happy Wacky Fun and Colorful Cupcakes even kids can make!