Star Surprise Cupcakes Food

CREAM-FILLED DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Bring the cocoa powder, milk and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, and whisk until the cocoa dissolves into a smooth, thicker mixture, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, and set aside until just slightly warm to the touch.
• Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Continue to beat while slowly pouring the cocoa mixture into the bowl (be sure to scrape out any cocoa that coats the saucepan) just until incorporated, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Finish stirring by hand to avoid overmixing.
• Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups, and bake until the cupcakes bounce back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Unwrap each cupcake, and use a small knife to cut out a small "plug" of cake in the middle of each bottom, cutting about halfway through the cupcake.
• For the filling: Beat the marshmallow, confectioners' sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large resealable plastic bag, and snip off one corner. Pipe the filling into the holes cut out of the cupcakes; use the plugs or scraps of the cake you removed to plug the holes back up.
• For the glaze: Combine the butter, chocolate, honey and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and poke a hole in it to vent. Microwave on high (at 100 percent power) for about 1 minute, until the butter and most of the chocolate is melted. Whisk until smooth; let cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Dip the top of each cupcake in the glaze, and let it set up, about 30 minutes.
• For the icing: Put the filled and glazed cupcakes on a rack set over a baking sheet or piece of parchment. Whisk the confectioners' sugar, butter and 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl. Top each cupcake with a drizzle of icing; let harden, about 10 minutes. Put the finished cupcakes in fresh liners. The cupcakes can be baked, filled, glazed and iced a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

STARS AND STRIPES CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
• Make the cupcakes: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the granulated sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in the melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Reduce the mixer to low speed; beat in half of the flour mixture, the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until smooth.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth, then beat in the vanilla and raspberry extracts. Beat in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until creamy. Transfer half of the frosting to a separate bowl and tint red with food coloring. Put the white and red frosting in separate zip-top bags; snip a corner of each. Snip a corner of a larger zip-top bag; put both frosting bags in the larger bag and twist so that they pipe out of the snipped corner. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
• Make the candy stars: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave the candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl in 45-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Transfer to a small zip-top bag and snip a small corner. Pipe twelve 2- to 3-inch stars onto the parchment, piping double or triple lines for stability. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift the stars from the parchment and insert into the frosting on each cupcake.

SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cream sugar and cream cheese together.
• Beat in egg.
• Stir in chocolate chips; set aside.
• Prepare cake mix according to directions on box.
• Place paper baking cups into a muffin tin.
• Fill paper bake cups 2/3 full.
• Drop one rounded teaspoon of cheese mixture into each cup.
• Bake according to directions on cake mix box.

STARS AND STRIPES CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, sour cream, oil, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and the eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in cherries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, water, corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon over cupcakes, using back of spoon to spread. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Place 1 candy star on each cupcake as shown. Using writing tip, pipe icing in wavy stripes on each cupcake to look like flag. Store loosely covered.

CHOCOLATE SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• 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.
• 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.

"YOU'RE A STAR!" CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make, bake and cool cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes, adding almond extract with the water.
• Meanwhile, on sheet of paper, draw five-pointed star (about 2 inches wide) to use as pattern.
• In small bowl, place half of frosting. Dip toothpick into paste food color; stir food color into frosting in bowl until color is evenly distributed and desired shade. Frost 12 cupcakes with blue frosting. Frost remaining 12 cupcakes with white frosting; sprinkle blue candy sprinkles over white cupcakes.
• In small microwavable bowl, place candy coating. Microwave uncovered on High 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave 10 seconds longer. Place in heavy-duty food storage plastic bag; seal bag and cut tiny hole in one bottom corner of bag.
• Place paper star pattern under large sheet of waxed paper. Squeezing bag of candy coating, trace the star on waxed paper; move pattern under waxed paper to make 12 stars. Let stars cool until set, about 5 minutes. Remove stars from waxed paper; insert 1 star in each of 12 cupcakes. Store loosely covered.

STAR-SPANGLED CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Use the star tip that comes on the Betty Crocker™ Cupcake Icing can to frost each cupcake. If desired, smooth top with offset spatula.
• Arrange 8 blue gems in upper left area of cupcake to create field of stars. Starting at top, place 3 red gems in a row, second row 4 red gems, third row 7 red gems and bottom row 5 red gems to create stripes. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

STAR SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, 1/3 cup butter, the flour and egg until soft dough forms. On floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 1- to 1 1/4-inch star cookie cutter, making 92 stars. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 23 regular-size muffin cups (make a small cut in each baking cup to mark the front of the cupcake).
• Make cake batter as directed on box. Spoon batter into 1 baking cup, three-fourths full (this cupcake will be crumbled and used as a garnish). Spoon 1 heaping tablespoonful remaining batter into each of remaining 23 baking cups. Place 3 cookie stars, standing up in center of batter, in each of the 23 baking cups. Carefully spoon 2 heaping tablespoonsful remaining batter on top of cookie stars in each, taking care not to tip them over.
• Bake at 350°F 22 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 25 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, 1 cup butter and 1 tablespoon of the milk with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in powdered sugar on low speed, adding 1 teaspoon milk at a time as needed, until fluffy and spreadable.
• Pipe or spread frosting over top of each cupcake. Place remaining cookie stars on tops of cupcakes, facing front of cupcake where small cut is. In small bowl, crumble remaining cupcake without star cookies inside; sprinkle on cupcakes.