Thanks to Beauty and the Beast, The Grey Stuff has become one of the most well known Disney treats but for a long time, you could only find it at the Be Our Guest restaurant in Walt Disney World.
But in 2017, Disneyland opened the Red Rose Tavern in Fantasyland and with it came the west coasts own version of the grey stuff. And just like Lumiere says, it really is delicious!
Disneyland’s version has the shortbread cookie and the grey stuff just like Disney World but what makes it different is the red velvet cake and raspberry center. It is so good and has rightfully claimed a spot on my Disney Top 10 Treats list!
So loving this treat, I decided to put my own spin on it. These Grey Stuff Gâteau cupcakes are a red velvet cupcake with a raspberry filling and grey stuff frosting. So let’s get started making this delicious Disney treat in your own home!
MAKING EACH COMPONENT
First of all, you have to make the cupcakes so they have plenty of time to cool down. I just used my basic red velvet cupcake recipe, which you can find printable recipe for at the bottom of this post, and then I let the cupcakes cool while I made the raspberry filling and grey stuff frosting.
While the cupcakes cool, it’s time to make the raspberry filling. I put about 3/4 cup of frozen raspberries in a small saucepan with 4 tablespoons of sugar to help them juice and add some sweetness. With the heat on medium-high I used a fork to smash down the raspberries as they cooked to break up all the big pieces.
Once the mixture is broken down and mostly smooth, I took 1/4 cup of corn starch and added water to make a slurry. Then I added that slurry to the raspberries and allowed it to cook until it thickened. You want it to be pretty thick so it doesn’t bleed into the cupcake.
Once the mixture is thickened, pour it into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and use a spatula to push the mixture through. This will take a few minutes and a lot of pushing through the strainer, but you want all the liquid to come through while keeping the seeds in the strainer.
Honestly, it kind of looks like ketchup when you’re all done with it. It should be really thick and it will still be a little tart but that’s good, you need it to cut through the sweetness of the cupcake and frosting. Cover the filling and put it in the fridge to cool completely before assembling the cupcakes.
Next you need to make the grey stuff which is definitely the best part! You need to make some pudding by adding a packet of instant vanilla pudding mix to 1 1/2 cups of milk until it’s well combined and put it in the fridge until it’s set. Once it’s set, you will put some Oreos into a blender or food processor and grind them up until they’re finely chopped and puréed. Take about 2 tablespoons of the Oreos out and set aside for later. Fold the rest of the Oreos into the pudding until it looks like the picture below.
Then you need to take a tub of Cool Whip and add 3 tablespoons of instant chocolate pudding mix. Stir that around until it’s well combined.
Then, fold the whipped cream mixture into the pudding mixture until it’s completely combined and put it back into the fridge for about an hour so it can chill and set back up.
ASSEMBLING THE GREY STUFF GÂTEAU CUPCAKES
Once you’ve got everything made and cooked, it’s time to start assembling. Using a round piping tip, you need to scoop out the middle of each cupcake. Put the extra cake you scoop out into a separate bowl.
This is the size of well I dug out of each cupcake, but if you would like to put more filling in you could make them larger.
Spoon the raspberry filling into a piping bag or even a snack size bag and just snip off the corner. Fill each well to the top with the filling.
I had a little extra filling coming out the top. You can leave it that way or use a knife to spread it around the top of the cupcake so it covers the whole top, this is totally your preference.
Next, spoon the grey stuff into a large piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe a generous amount onto each cupcake.
Lastly, take the cake you scooped out of each cupcake and crumble it up. Add the Oreo bits you set aside earlier and mix them together. Then sprinkle onto each cupcake for decoration.
And there you have it! Delicious Grey Stuff Gâteau cupcakes inspired by Disneyland’s very own grey stuff! Store the filling and frosting in the fridge and the cupcakes on the counter until ready to assemble and eat.
If you want to make more Disney recipes, make sure to check out my other copycat recipes:
» Disney Parks Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums
GREY STUFF GÂTEAU CUPCAKES RECIPE
Grey Stuff Gâteau Cupcakes
Equipment
- Piping bag and large star tip
- Fine mesh strainer
- Cupcake liners
Ingredients
Red Velvet cupcakes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring (or however much you need until you reach your desired color)
Raspberry Filling
- 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Grey Stuff Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 18 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed
- 3 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding mix
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners (it should make 18 cupcakes) and lightly spray each liner with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Allow to cool a little bit.
- Add the oil and vanilla to the butter and whisk until smooth.
- Add in the sugar and whisk until well combined.
- Add the 2 eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing well each time.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until combined. Do not over mix.
- Add the vinegar and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
- Gently fold in the sour cream until it’s smooth and completely incorporated.
- Add the red food coloring. Add a little at a time until you reach your desired color and mix until it’s just combined and there are no streaks.
- Fill the cupcake liners with batter until they’re about 3/4 full. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and allow to cool completely before assembly.
To make the filling:
- In a small saucepan, combine raspberries and sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high and allow berries to simmer while stirring often. Using a fork, smash the raspberries so the mixture becomes smoother.
- With the corn starch, create a slurry by adding a little bit of water. Mix until the cornstarch is dissolved then add to the raspberry mixture. Stir occasionally as the mixture thickens to prevent the berries from burning to the bottom.
- Once the mixture is thickened, pour it into a fine mesh strainer. Using a spatula, press the mixture through until only the seeds are left in the strainer. Allow the filling to cool before piping into the cupcakes.
To make the grey stuff frosting:
- Combine milk and vanilla pudding mix and whisk until well combined. Place in fridge and allow it to set, about one hour.
- Place 18 chocolate sandwich cookies into a blender or food processor and pulse until puréed. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of puréed cookies for later.
- Fold the puréed cookies into the vanilla pudding until well combined.
- Add the chocolage pudding mix to the whipped topping and stir until well incorporated. Then add the whipped topping mixture into the pudding and stir until completely mixed.
- Place in the fridge and chill for at least an hour.
To assemble:
- Using a round piping tip, cut out a circle in the center of each cupcake. Put the cake you scoop out into a separate bowl, crumble it into bits, and set aside.
- Fill a small piping bag with the raspberry filling and fill the well of each cupcake.
- Spoon the grey stuff into a large piping bag with a large star tip and pipe a generous amount onto each cupcake.
- Combine the puréed chocolate sandwich cookies you set aside with the crumbled cake you reserved. Sprinkle on top of each cupcake and enjoy.
Notes
I hope you enjoy my take on Disneyland’s Grey Stuff. Let me know what you think, share with your friends, and if there’s anything else you’d like to see, drop me a comment below!
[…] more copycat Disney recipes, check out my Jungle Juleps, Grey Stuff Gâteau Cupcakes, Bengal Barbecue Recipes, Disney Parks Churros, Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums, and Mickey S’mores […]