I’d like to apologize in advance for the cupcake shake. It wasn’t supposed to happen to me. I believed I was bigger than the cupcake shake. Smarter, and more refined. I told myself cupcake shakes were “gilding the lily”. I told myself cupcake shakes lived in the same horrible space as doughnut burgers (two doughnuts sandwiching a meat patty). I told myself all of these things, and then I fell headlong – mouth agape – into the cupcake shake wormhole.

In theory, a cupcake shake shouldn’t be so glorious. But it is. And the beauty of this quick and easy dessert is the sheer number of combinations available. Here are just a few:

peanut butter ice cream plus chocolate cupcake = peanut butter choco bliss shake

vanilla bean ice cream plus strawberry cupcake = strawberry shortcake shake

mint chip ice cream plus chocolate cupcake = chocolate mint chip shake

vanilla ice cream plus vanilla cupcake = birthday shake

Truth be told, I only tried a few combos (after all, beach body season is nearing). All were more than satisfying and many were worth repeating. My favorite combo however is Salted Caramel Ice Cream plus the Baked Chocolate Cupcake. It’s not as cloying as it sounds, and in small doses – say one 4 ounce cup – it will hit that perfect sweet spot on that perfect summer day.

Notes:

I found the perfect cupcake shake to have a high ratio of cupcake to other ingredients. Duh.

If you are making a cupcake shake, you should not bother with anything other than whole milk.

Yes, of course you need sprinkles.

You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe with abandon.

The cupcake shake is not available at Baked just yet. One of these days….

Ingredients and Directions for one very thick Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake Shake

2 ounces very cold whole milk
2 massive scoops salty caramel ice cream (I used Steve’s)
1 chocolate cupcake
whip cream and sprinkles for serving

Blend the milk, ice cream and cupcake together until thick. Add more milk for a thinner shake and more ice cream for a thicker shake. Pour into a chilled glass. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Enjoy without guilt or embarrassment.