Any-Fruit Sponge Cake Cupcakes

Light, fluffy, and full of your favorite diced fruits, these cupcakes are the perfect treat for any season. With their airy texture and just the right amount of sweetness, they’ll be a hit at your next snack time or gathering.

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Recipe

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Calories per serving: Approx. 160 calories per cupcake

Total Time: 40 minutes (15 minutes prep, 25 minutes bake)

Any-Fruit Sponge Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced fruit (about 4 oz after draining and patting dry) – pears, peaches, mangoes, or whatever fruit you have on hand

• 3 large eggs (room temperature)

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat and Prep

   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

   • Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.

2. Prepare the Fruit

   • Drain and pat the diced fruit dry with paper towels. Chop finely or mash lightly if you prefer smaller fruit pieces.

3. Beat Eggs and Sugar

   • In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with a hand or stand mixer on high speed for 3–5 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick, and tripled in volume.

4. Mix Dry Ingredients

   • Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in two additions, being careful not to deflate the batter.

5. Add Vanilla and Fruit

   • Fold in the vanilla extract and prepared fruit, ensuring even distribution without overmixing.

6. Fill the Cupcake Liners

   • Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.

7. Bake

   • Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool and Serve

   • Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional Value per Serving

• Calories: 160

• Protein: 3g

• Carbohydrates: 28g

• Fat: 4g

• Fiber: 1g

• Sugar: 14g

Ingredients

Prepare the Fruit

Beat Eggs and Sugar

Beat Eggs and Sugar

Beat Eggs and Sugar

Mix Dry Ingredients

Mix Dry Ingredients

Mix Dry Ingredients

Mix Dry Ingredients

Add Vanilla and Fruit

Add Vanilla and Fruit

Add Vanilla and Fruit

Add Vanilla and Fruit

Fill the Cupcake Liners

Bake

Cool and Serve

Cool and Serve

Cool and Serve

Cool and Serve

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Prompt

I had some fruit cups that nobody wanted to eat so I thought why not make something out of them? I asked ChatGPT:

I have two cups of 4 oz diced pears and juice. The ones that kids eat as a snack. Can I make sponge cake cupcakes out of them?

It provided the recipe:

Yes, you can definitely make sponge cake cupcakes using the diced pears and their juice! Here's a simple recipe idea:

Pear Sponge Cake Cupcakes

Makes about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups (4 oz each) diced pears with their juice

• 3 large eggs

• ½ cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste based on the pears' sweetness)

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat and Prep

   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

   • Line a cupcake tin with paper liners or grease it lightly with butter.

2. Prepare the Pears

   • Drain the pears and reserve the juice. Mash the pears into a chunky puree (you can leave small bits for texture). Set aside.

3. Beat the Eggs and Sugar

   • In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with a whisk or hand mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy (around 3–5 minutes).

4. Add the Flavorings

   • Mix in the vanilla extract and 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved pear juice for flavor.

5. Incorporate the Dry Ingredients

   • Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the egg mixture. Gently fold it in with a spatula to avoid deflating the batter.

6. Add the Pears

   • Fold in the mashed pears gently until evenly distributed.

7. Fill the Cupcake Liners

   • Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.

8. Bake

   • Bake for 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Cool and Serve

   • Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional

• Dust with powdered sugar before serving or top with whipped cream for extra flair.

These cupcakes should turn out light, fruity, and perfect for a snack or dessert! Would you like help tweaking the recipe further?

I felt like the juice itself was redundant, I have never made cake with watery liquid, so I asked:

I don't think I want to use the juice just the pears. I'm afraid the juice will make it too wet?

It replied:

Got it! You can skip the juice and just use the diced pears. To prevent excess moisture, make sure to drain and pat the pears dry with a paper towel before mashing them. This will help keep the sponge cake texture light and avoid sogginess. Would you like me to adjust the recipe to reflect this?

I did want the new recipe, however I wanted my recipe to be more general, so I asked:

Yes. But I want the quantities to make sense so that the cake texture is light and airy. I also want the recipe to be pretty much for any kind of diced fruit cups so I happen to have pears but it could also be mangoes or peaches or whatever is in the cupboard

It provided an updated recipe:

Here’s a refined recipe that works for any type of diced fruit cups while keeping the sponge cake light and airy:

Any-Fruit Sponge Cake Cupcakes

Makes about 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced fruit (drained and patted dry, such as pears, peaches, or mangoes)

• 3 large eggs (room temperature)

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat and Prep

   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

   • Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.

2. Prepare the Fruit

   • Drain the diced fruit thoroughly and pat it dry with a paper towel. Chop finely or mash lightly if you want smaller fruit pieces.

3. Beat Eggs and Sugar

   • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together with a hand or stand mixer on high speed for about 3–5 minutes until the mixture is pale, thick, and has tripled in volume. This step is key for a light texture.

4. Incorporate Dry Ingredients

   • Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Gently fold it into the egg mixture in two additions, being careful not to deflate the batter.

5. Add the Vanilla and Fruit

   • Fold in the vanilla extract and the prepared fruit, ensuring they’re evenly distributed without overmixing.

6. Fill the Cupcake Liners

   • Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.

7. Bake

   • Bake for 15–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool and Serve

   • Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

• For a lighter texture, ensure the eggs are at room temperature and fully beaten to incorporate air.

• If the fruit is very juicy (like peaches), pat it extra dry to prevent wet spots.

• Dust the cooled cupcakes with powdered sugar or serve plain for a naturally sweet treat.

Would you like further customization or suggestions for add-ons?

I wasn't fully sure I understood the quantities so I asked:

So is this one cup of 4 oz after the juice has been drained out?

It replied:

Yes, the recipe calls for 1 cup (about 4 oz) of fruit after the juice has been drained and the fruit has been patted dry. This ensures the batter doesn’t become too wet and the sponge cake texture stays light and airy.

This actually translates to ~2 fruit cups. Check out the recipe at the top of the page (you can also click the link below).

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