Peanut Butter Chocolate Twist Cupcakes

ingredients

• 1/2
  cup butter
• 3
  eggs
• 2 1/2
  cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2
  teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 1/3
  cup peanut butter
• 1
  cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4
  cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2
  teaspoons vanilla
• 1
  cup milk
• 4
  ounces milk chocolate, melted
• 1
  recipe Peanut Butter Frosting
• 1
  recipe Chocolate Frosting
• Shaved milk chocolate and/or bite-size chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, halved

directions

1.Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line thirty-four to thirty-six 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter; beat until combined. Gradually add brown sugar and granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat for 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

3.Place half of the batter into a separate mixing bowl; add melted chocolate. Beat with electric mixer on low speed just until combined.

4.Fill prepared muffin cups by alternating spoonfuls of peanut butter batter and chocolate batter, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl batter.

5.Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

6.In a pastry bag fitted with a star or round tip place Peanut Butter Frosting side-by-side with the Chocolate Frosting. Pipe frostings onto cupcakes. Top with shaved chocolate and/or peanut butter cup halves. Makes 34 to 36 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes.

Margarita Cupcakes

CAKE:
9 ounces Margarita Mixer, bottled liquid
3 ounces tequila
3/4 ounce Grand Marnier
1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
3 large egg whites
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon lime zest
LIME BUTTERCREAM ICING:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime zest
green food coloring, if desired
small lime slices for garnish, if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two dozen cupcake tins with paper liners.
2. Prepare cupcakes: Whisk together margarita mix, tequila and Grand Marnier in a small bowl. Measure out 1 1/4 cups for the recipe; pour the rest on some ice and drink it while making the cupcakes :)
3. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, lime zest and 1 1/4 cups of the margarita mix from step 1. Blend on low for about 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium and blend for two additional minutes. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
4. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then remove them to a rack to cool completely.
5. Prepare icing: Once cucpakes are completely cooled, prepare the icing. Place butter in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until butter is fluffy. Add 5 cups of powdered sugar, salt, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar until the frosting is of a good spreading (or piping) consistency. Mix in a tiny amount of green food coloring or gel paste if you'd like the frosting to have a green tint. Ice cupcakes in whatever manner you prefer... spreading or piping the frosting. Use small lime slices as garnish.

Tips:

*Conversions: 9 ounces = a little over a cup, 3 ounces = a little less than 1/3 cup, 3/4 ounce = 1 1/2 Tablespoons
*Grand Marnier is an orange liqueur- sub another kind if you'd like or add in some orange juice.
*Don't worry too much about exact measuring for the margarita mix/tequila/Grand Marnier. Just eyeball it and measure out the 1 1/4 cups that you'll need for the recipe.
*If you just spread frosting on the cupcakes (rather than piping), you'll probably have a bit of frosting leftover.

From: RecipeGirl

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes baked in kiddie sized ice cream cones. These are incredibly simple. You literally just bake the batter in the cones as you normally would in tins.  I stood these tiny kiddie cones in a mini-cupcake tin while baking Topped with cream cheese frosting. Assorted toppings: orange cream crunch, cookies n' cream crunch, chocolate nut crunch, and nut crunch.