Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt and baking soda. Stir in oil, water, vinegar and vanilla until blended. Pour mixture into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
3. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop a heaping teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture into each cupcake. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon margarine, melted
•  
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 6 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and margarine with a fork until combined. Measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing firmly. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, then remove to cool. Keep the oven on.
3. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the egg.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan before removing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cream Filled Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• DIRECTIONS
• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 36 muffin cups with paper liners.
• 2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, 1 cup milk, water, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Fill each muffin cup half-full of batter.
• 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
• 4. Make filling: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Blend in confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. beat until light and fluffy. Fill a pastry bag with a small tip. Push tip through bottom of paper liner to fill each cupcake.

Molten Chocolate Cakes With Sugar-Coated Raspberries

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup unsalted butter or unsalted margarine*
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or bars, cut into bite-size chunks
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 teaspoons flour (or matzo meal, ground in a blender to a fine powder)
• 8 extra-large paper muffin cups (or use regular paper muffin cups, which will make 12 cakes)
•  
• Garnish:
• 1 (6 ounce) container raspberries, barely moistened and rolled in about
• 1/2 cup sugar right before serving
• DIRECTIONS
• 1. Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; remove from heat. Beat eggs, sugar and salt with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth. Beat in flour or matzo meal until just combined. (Batter can be made a day ahead; return to room temperature an hour or so before baking.)
  2. Before serving dinner, adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a standard-size muffin tin (1/2 cup capacity) with 8 extra-large muffin papers (papers should extend above cups to facilitate removal). Spray muffin papers with vegetable cooking spray. Divide batter among muffin cups.
  3. Bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift cakes from tin and set on a work surface. Pull papers away from cakes and transfer cakes to dessert plates.
  4. Top each with sugared raspberries and serve immediately.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (1 ounce) bottle McCormick® Red Food Color
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
•  
• Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• DIRECTIONS
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
• 2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
• 3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
• 4. Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• DIRECTIONS
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin tins with paper cups or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• 2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.
• 3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center and add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir together until well blended. Fill muffin tins 1/3 full with the batter and top with a dollop of the cream cheese mixture.
• 4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.