Forget Frosting: Use This Sweet Condiment To Top Cupcakes Instead

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There is a lot of fun to be had with cupcakes. From different types of cake, like Betty Crocker's Oreo Mix or Duncan Hines' Super Moist Strawberry, to fun frostings to exciting toppings, there seems to be no end to the many combinations possible. But have you considered forgoing the typical sugar-heavy frosting — like Miss Jones Baking Co. Confetti Pop Vegan Frosting or Duncan Hines' Creamy Cream Cheese — and instead topping your cupcakes with jam or jelly? It's one of the many fun cupcake toppings that go beyond frosting.

If you'd like to try this fun spin, there are a couple of things you should know. Most importantly, you'll want to use this sweet condiment (be it homemade or store-bought) because it's thick enough so that it won't slide off your cakes. Allow your cupcakes to cool off before using this topper so that melting doesn't occur. If you'd like to start off slow with this rendition, consider adding a dollop of jam or jelly to the center of your icing, rather than swapping it out entirely. This will keep the mess in check by incorporating the jam or jelly as more of an icing filling rather than a general topper.

When thinking of jams and jellies, none are more popular than strawberry and grape flavors. When considering these two options, each would work marvelously with standard white or yellow cupcake cakes, as well as any one of these boxed chocolate cake mixes. Thinking more outside of that cake mix box, a peanut butter-flavored cake mix would offer the perfect base for peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, if you were so inclined.

Although fruity jams and jellies are likely to first come to mind, don't forget about the less traditional spreads, including jalapeño jam, red pepper jelly, and mint jelly. If you're a lover of Girl Scouts' Thin Mints, mint jelly would be a phenomenal topper for a chocolate cupcake. In fact, you could even top Duncan Hines Carrot Cake Mix with some organic carrot cake jam for twice the carrot flavor. Alternatively, to break up the similar tastes, you could use the standard cream cheese frosting and fill it with the jam.