Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes (With A Creamy Chocolate Blender Ganache)

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)
2 milk-chocolate bars (1.55 ounces each)
1 package (18.5 ounces) plain butter recipe fudge cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Break the chocolate bars into quarters, stack them on top of each other, and slice down the short end of the stack with a sharp knife. You will have about 1 cup of 1/4-inch shavings. Set them aside. Fold in the slivers of milk chocolate for fun little bites of contrasting flavor and color.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Bleand with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of a the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thickened and smooth. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. 20 to 23 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcakes liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Bake at 350

Notes: It's important to soften the cram cheese thoroughly before beginning this recipe. This recipe. If the cream cheese is cold, it will lump up in the batter and no matter how much you blend won't be able to rid the batter of the those white lumps. Remove the cream cheese from the fridge and hour before.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs
24 miniature peanut butter cups

Frosting
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy wipping cream
1/3 cup peanut butter
Additional miniature peanut butter cups, chopped

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth.
2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each cupcake. Cover each with 1 tablespoonful batter.
3. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Place chocolate in a smal bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in peanut butter. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache reaches a spreading consistency, about 10 minutes.
5. Spread over cupcakes; immediately sprinkle with additional peanut butter cups. Let stand until set.

Halloween Spider Cupcakes

24 cupcake liners for

Cupcakes
1 package plain devil's food cake mix
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting:
Buttercream Frosting (you will find it on the blog under frosting)
6 drops yellow food coloring
2 drops red food coloring

Garnishes:
24 Chocolate Spiders

1.Preheat oven to 350
Line the cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
2. Prepare the cupcake batter: Place the cake mix, coca powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes.
3. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the Buttercream Frosting. Place 1/4 cup of the frosting in a plastic sandwich bag and set aside. Add the yellow and red food coloring to the remaining frosting. Blend well so the frosting is evenly orange. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely.

Chocolate Spiders
You can make these spiders up to two days before you bake the cupcakes. The six extras make wonderful platter decorations or sweet treats by themselves.
1 1/4 cups chow mein noodles
2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup crispy rice cereal

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside.
2. Measure out 3/4 cup chow mein noodles and break them into small pieces. Break the remaining noodles into 2-inch pieces. These will be the spiders' legs. Set the noodles aside in separate groupings.
3. Combine the chocolate chips and milk in a medium-size saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the powder sugar, cereal, and the small chow mein noodle pieces until blended. Drop the chocolate mixture by tablespoons in a slightly oblong shape (the body of the spider) onto the prepared baking sheet. You will have about 30 bodies, about 2 inches in size. Immediately insert the noodle legs into the spider bodies, 4 on each side. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill the spiders until hardened, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Once chilled, remove them from the waxed paper by pushing up from the waxed paper by pushing up from the underside of the waxed paper.
5. Garnish the cupcakes: Cut off a small piece from one of the bottom corners of the plastic bag holding the frosting. Pipe 2 eyes on each of the chocolate spiders. Place a small round decorating candy in the center of each eye. Place a spider on top of each cupcake. There should be 6 extra spiders for additional platter garnish or simply to enjoy.


Sorry about no picture I am still have problems with my computer and hooking up my camera

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

1 package Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix
1 container Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
15 miniature peanut butter cup candies, wrappers removed, cut in half vertically

1. preheat oven to 350. Place 30 paper liners in muffin cups
2.Prepare, bake and cool cupcakes following package direction for basic recipe
3. Combine vanilla frosting and peanut butter in medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Frost one cupcake. Decorate with peanut butter cup candy, cut-side down. Repeat with remaining cupcakes, frosting and candies

White Cupcakes With Strawberry Frosting

Mix
1 Pillsbury White Cake Mix
1c Flour
1 c. Sugar
Add:
1 ¼ c. Water
4 Egg Whites
1/3 c. Oil
1 c. Sour Cream

Frosting:
2 Cubes Butter
¼ pkg Cream Cheese
1 2lb pkg Powder Sugar
1 Cup Pureed Fresh Strawberries
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. White Vanilla
Blend until light and fluffy

bake 350 for 18-22 min

This frosting makes a lot so you might want to cut it in half. These are some of the best cupcakes ever.