Bake Your Way Through a Decade of ‘Modern Family’ Memories with Desserts Paying Homage to its Iconic Characters

Celebrate the legacy of the Modern Family sitcom as it crosses into another year and the characters continue to be legendary. What makes this show so good is that you get a look into a flawed family with their imperfections and not-so-perfect choices. But that doesn’t mean your desserts can’t be perfect!

The hit TV show Modern Family has entertained audiences for years with the hilarious hijinks of the Dunphy, Pritchett, and Tucker-Pritchett clans. In celebration of the show, here are some sweet treat ideas that take inspiration from the beloved characters.

Each member of the Modern Family brings their own quirks, personalities, and life lessons that have led to some memorable moments in television history. Whether it's Phil's cheerful spirit or Gloria's flamboyant flair, we have some recipes to suit your favorite characters.

1. Cam’s Confetti Cupcakes

Just like Cam’s flamboyant and showy personality, an over-the-top cupcake fits best for this sassy Modern Family character. It takes a big heart to help people and Cam has plenty for the whole neighborhood. We recommend baking the Cam’s special confetti cupcakes if you absolutely love the loud character that he is. Here’s how to make them:

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 180 gm all-purpose flour
• 120 gm white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 120 ml milk
• 60 ml vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60 gm rainbow sprinkles

Frosting:

• 240 gm icing sugar
• 60 gm butter, softened
• 60 ml milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set it aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth and homogenous.
• Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour remains.
• Remove 1/3 of the batter (about 1/3 cup) and place in a small bowl. Stir the rainbow sprinkles into this portion of the batter.
• Scoop the plain batter evenly into the lined muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
• Top each cupcake with a spoonful of the sprinkled batter.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. This helps the frosting stick better.
• Make the frosting by beating ingredients together until light and fluffy.
• Frost the cupcakes and top with the remaining sprinkles.

2. Gloria’s Flan

Gloria seems to be the only sane person (jk) besides Phil on Modern Family. She’s known hardships like no other family member of the show, and has single-handedly raised her son to finally find love and a family with Jay. While she is treated like a trophy wife, she is anything but. Her comforting and motherly personality is best represented by the humble Flan. But you will need Gloria’s perseverance for this one, for it takes a long time to bake and set.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 600 ml sweetened condensed milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Equipment:

• 9-inch round baking pan
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C.
• Pour about 2 cm of water into the 9-inch round baking pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven to preheat.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the condensed milk, eggs, vanilla and salt until smooth and homogenous. You can use a whisk for this step to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
• Carefully pour the egg mixture into the preheated baking pan. At this point, remove the pan from the oven (using oven mitts) and pour the custard into the pan.
• Cover tightly with foil and seal the edges by pressing down with your oven-mitt-covered hands. This will create a seal to prevent water from entering.
• Bake for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the center is set but is still slightly wobbly. Check by gently shaking the pan.
• Remove from the oven and cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
• To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a serving plate, using oven mitts for safety.

3. Phil Dunphy’s Ice Cream Cake

The eternally suburban white husband, Phil Dunphy is the model and Modern Family man. He’s devoted to his wife, and his three kids, but can be quite the clueless, bumbling baboon. Despite the condescending behavior meted out to him by his wife and his father-in-law Jay during his early years of courting and then marrying Claire, he continues to have a bubbly and cheerful outtake on life. An ice cream cake suits him the best.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 450 gm Oreo cookies (about 30 cookies)
• 150 gm butter, melted
• 1.5 l vanilla ice cream, softened
• 240 ml heavy cream
• 60 gm powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Crush the Oreos: Place the cookies in a resealable plastic bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until finely crushed.
• Prepare the crust: Pour the crushed Oreos into a 23 cm springform pan. Drizzle the melted butter on top and use your hands or the back of a spoon to mix until the crumbs are moistened.
• Press firmly into an even layer on the bottom and 1 cm up the sides of the pan. Place in the freezer to set while preparing the filling.
• Make the ice cream layer: In a large bowl, stir together the softened ice cream, heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
• Spread the ice cream mixture evenly over the frozen crust. Smooth the top and return to the freezer for at least 4 hours to harden.
• To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan. Use a knife dipped in hot water to cut slices and serve immediately.