Leslie Knope Waffle Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting

Guys.. do I have such a treat for you today, or what? I might be, oh, literally in Florence, Italy right now with the Mr. to my Mrs., but that doesn’t mean I forgot about you! No, I’m actually bringing you something so much cooler.. an incredible guest recipe from Sasha over at Tattooed Martha! I’ve adored this gorgeous girl and her blog for months now, and so I got really fangirl excited when she agreed to write a recipe for me to share with you while I’m gallivanting across Europe. Not only that, this girl truly understands just how necessary Parks & Recreation is to a full life, so to celebrate our shared love of the show.. and to mourn this season’s last episode airing tomorrow.. I present: Leslie Knope Waffle Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting! Make sure you stop by Sasha’s blog, Tattooed Martha, for killer recipes, fabulous cocktails, DIYs, and her famous tattoosday. Follow her on social media, too.. follow her on Twitter here; like her page on Facebook here; and follow her on Pinterest here!

Hello! My name is Sasha and I’m the blogger behind Tattooed Martha!

Cheryl and I first struck up a conversation awhile back about our love for the show, Parks and Recreation. Not only does she appreciate a good “Snake Juice” reference, but I found she’s a phenomenal cook and blogger as well! When we discussed a guest blog post I couldn’t think of anything more perfect than waffle cupcakes inspired by the main character, Leslie Knope. Her love of waffles topped with a towering mound of whipped cream are her signature dish and I only hope that if she were real, that she would approve of my cupcake creation!

Whether you’re a fan of the show or just a fan of waffles, you’ll love this breakfast/dessert combo!

(makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup low-fat buttermilk

For whipped cream frosting:

4oz light cream cheese

¼ cup sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

**Don’t cheat and buy canned whipped cream! The consistency will not be strong enough to hold up your mini waffle.**

Toppings:

Sprinkles

Mini Eggos, toasted according to package directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

(1.) In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. (2.) In a separate bowl, cream together sugar and butter. (3.) Beat in eggs one at a time and then stir in vanilla extract. (4.) Slowly add dry ingredients and buttermilk until completely blended in.

(5.) Fill cupcake liners ¾ of the way full and place in the oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (6.) Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove and place on a cooling rack for another 10-15 minutes. While waiting on the cupcakes to cool, prepare your frosting. Cream together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. (7.) With the mixer running, slowly pour in cream and mix for 30 seconds to a minute. (8.) Stop the mixer to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed and continue to mix until frosting can hold a stiff peak.