Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012:
Fireworks Push-it-Up Cakes

Recipe via Betty Crocker

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time:15 minutes

Serves:18

Ingredients:

• 1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites
• red food coloring
• blue food coloring
• 18 plastic push-up pop containers
• 2 containers Betty Crocker white frosting
• 2 envelopes popping rock candy

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 36 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes on high speed until well blended. Divide batter into 2 bowls. Tint 1 bowl of batter with a few drops red food color; tint other bowl with blue food color.

Fill 18 muffin cups 2/3 full with red batter. Bake about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Repeat with blue batter to make an additional 18 mini cupcakes. Cool completely.

To assemble push-up cakes, drop 1 mini cupcake into each push-up pop container. Add generous teaspoon frosting to top of each cupcake. Top each with second mini cupcake; add dollops of frosting to tops of each. Sprinkle each of popping rock candy. Serve.

Recipe for Friday, April 13th, 2012:
Italian Spumoni Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Recipe via Betty Crocker

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time:as directed

Serves:18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
• 3/4 of box (4-serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1/4 cup cherry juice (from jar of maraschino cherries)
• 1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped chocolate frosting
• 18 whole maraschino cherries with stems

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 18 regular-size muffin cups.

Make cake mix as directed on box; divide batter evenly into 2 bowls. Add 3/4 box pudding mix to 1 of the bowls; mix well. To other bowl, add cherry juice; mix well.

Divide pistachio batter evenly among muffins cups. Divide cherry batter evenly over pistachio batter in muffin cups. Bake cupcakes and cool completely as directed on box.

Frost cupcakes with frosting. Top each with cherry.

Recipe for Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011:
Butterscotch Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Recipe via Betty Crocker

Prep time: 50 minutes
Bake time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients [Butterscotch Cupcakes]:

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips, coarsely chopped

Ingredients [Salted Caramel Frosting]:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher (coarse) salt, garnish

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups, grease bottom and sides of muffin cups with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 of mixture at a time, and milk, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each with about 3 tablespoons batter or until 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make frosting: In 2-quart saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar with whisk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/4 cup milk. Return to boiling. Remove from heat; cool until lukewarm, about 30 minutes. Gradually stir in powdered sugar.

Frost cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle each with kosher salt.