Easy Cream Cheese Cupcakes

2 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese
3/4 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 -18 vanilla wafers
1 can cherry pie filling
You will also need: mixing bowl, electric mixer, measuring cups and spoons, cupcake liners and cupcake baking pans.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar until creamy using an electric mixer.
Add eggs and vanilla. Then, mix well.
Place liners in baking pans. Put 1 vanilla wafer in each cupcake liner. Put 2 tablespoons of mix on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until tops are lightly brown. Let cool.
Put 1 tablespoon of cherry pie filling on top and serve.

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pkg. (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups whipped topping
1 cup sliced strawberries, for garnish

--Mix together cake mix, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Pour batter in paper liners and fill 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly.  Remove from pan and allow to cool compeltely.  Cut top portion off and set aside to make a small cavity in each pucake.

In large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, cream cheese and whipped topping.  Spoon filling into each hole in the cupcake, gently replaing the top of the cake to seal.

Frost and garnish with strawberries.

Frost with whipped cream

Double Fudge Cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream (for half and half)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

--Mix together cake mix, eggs and cream.  Fold in melted chocolate chips and regular chips.

Pour batter into paper-lined cups and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.  Place on a rack and cool completely.  Frost when cool.

Frost with: Chocolate Buttercream (in Burnt Almond Fudge Recipe)
or
Chocolate Ganache (in chocolate trifle recipe)

Burnt Almond Fudge Cupcake

I really need to return this recipe book, but I can't stop myself.  This is one someone else wanted to try and it was amazing.  So good.

1 box dark chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
1 cup slivered almonds, roasted

--Combine cake mix, eggs, half and hald and extract.  Fold chocolate chunks and roasted almonds into batter.  Pout into paper liners and fill 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-19 minutes or until cake springs back when slightly touched.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
(you can also do the Chocolate Ganache from the Trifle Cupcakes)

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup cocoa
3 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3-4 Tbsp. milk or cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract

--Beat butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop mixer before adding cocoa.

Add cocoa, sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk or cream and vanilla extract.  Bat frosting starting on slow speed and add up to 1 more Tbsp. milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

Chocolate Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes with Whipped Cream

All of my cupcake recipes are from the same book.  I sat down and read some hints about cooking these recipes.  On thing I read that helped A LOT, is that each cupcake should have 1/4 of batter in it before you cook it.    I went and purchased a muffin scoop that help a 1/4 cup.  You will NOT get 24 cupcakes.  You will get between 12-18.  It's worth it to fill the liners and not skimp.

I think this is my favorite of the cupcake recipes.  It is very decadant.

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1(4-oz.) package pudding powder  ( I ended up buying a large box of instant vanilla pudding and measuring out 4-oz of the powder. It worked great!)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 recipe chocolate ganache
1 recipe whipped cream
1 cup raspberries for garnish

--Mix together cake mix, pudding powder, eggs and milk.  Pour into paper liners and fill 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack.

Frost with chocolate ganache and whipped cream and top with raspberries.

Chocolate Ganache Recipe

1 cup heavy whiping cream
12-oz semi sweet chocolate chucks or chips

-Heat cream in a saucepan until it comes to a boil.
Remove from heat and pout over chocolate in a mixing bowl.  Stir to mix together.  You can pour it over your cakes warm, or allow it to cool slightly and be spread like frosting.

Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar (depending on preference)
(I also added a small package of unflavored gelatin to keep the cream together better.)

--Pour cream into large mixing bowl and start mixing at low speed.  Gradually increase speed until cream thickens and soft peaks form.

Turn off mixer and add sugar.  Start slowly again to avoid messes.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

The stiffer the cream the easier it is th frost cupcakes.  Keep refrigerated.

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

I'm posting this because I think it sounds good.  :)

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 lb. sliced peaches
2 Tbsp. sugar

Mix together cake mix, eggs, butter, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Place sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle sugar on top.  Toss gently and set aside.

Pour about 2 Tablespoon batter in the bottom of each paper liner.  Place equal amount of peaches on top of each batter-filled paper liner.  Fill the remaining paper liner 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 -20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Angel Food Toasted Coconut

One more cupcake recipe for the wedding luncheon.  It is this week!  All these cupcake recipes are from 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 minutes by Wendy Paul.

1 box angel food cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups toasted coconut flakes
1 recipe vanilla buttercream frosting

Mix together cake mix and water on low until moistened.  Slowly increase speed until batter is fluffy and light.  Pour batter into paper liners.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 -25 minutes or until cake is light and golden in color.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, place coconut flakes on a cookie sheet, spreading out in a single layer.  Bake at 400 degrees, checking every minute.  It will only take about 2 - 4 minutes.  The coconut will become fragrant and brown very easily.  Set aside to cool.

Frost cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting and top with toasted coconut.

Buttercream Frosting

8 Tbsp. (1 stick butter, room temperature)
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3-4 Tbsp. milk or cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Change of plan for the wedding luncheon I'm helping with!  Cupcakes instead of sheetcakes!

1 box white cake mix

1/3 cup pink lemonade concentrate

½ cup buttermilk

3 eggs

2-3 drops red food coloring

Mix together all ingredients until smooth.

Pour batter into paper liners and fill ¾ full.

Bake 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Cool completely before frosting.

Pink Lemonade Cream

8 Tbsp. (1 stick butter, room temperature

3 ¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted

3-4 Tbsp. Milk or cream

1-2 drops red food coloring

2 tsp. lemon extract

--Place butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop the mixer before adding the sugar to avoid a large mess.

Add sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk or cream, food coloring, and lemon extract.  Beat frosting starting on slow speed and increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy.  Add up to 1 more Tbsp of milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

1 white cake mix

1 cup of you favorite root beer

1 recipe vanilla Buttercream

1 tsp. root beer flavoring

--Mix together root beer and cake mix.  Pour into paper liners and fill ¾ full.

Bake at 350 degree for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

In a separate bowl, mix buttercream frosting and root beer flavoring.  Frost cooled cupcakes.

Rootbeer Buttercream

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 ¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted

3-4 Tbsp. milk or cream

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Stop the mixer before adding sugar to avoid a large mess.

Add sugar, 3 tbsp. milk or cream, and root beer flavoring. 

Beat frosting, starting on slow and increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy.  Add up to 1 more Tbsp. of milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

Cookie and Cream Dream Cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

18-24 whole chocolate sandwich cookie, crumbled

1 recipe vanilla buttercream frosting

--Mix together cake mix, sour cream, eggs,and vanilla . Place a spoonful of batter on the bottom of each paper liner.  Place a whole cookie on the bottom lying flat.  Cover with remaining batter until ¾ full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-28 minutes.  Allow cupcakes to cool on a rack completely.

Add crumbled cookies to buttercream frosting.  Be generous and frost cupcakes nice and high.

Vanilla Buttercream

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

3 ¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted

3-4 Tbsp. milk or cream

2 tsp. vanilla

Place butter in a large mixing bowl.  Beat until light and fluffly, about 30 seconds.  Stop beating before adding sugar to avoid a large mess.

Add sugar, 3 Tbsp. milk or cream, and vanilla extract.  Beat frosting starting on slow, increasing your speed until frosting is nice and creamy.  Add up to 1 more Tbsp milk or cream if frosting is too thick.