Apple Cider Cupcakes

So today, I decided to continue my powdered drink mix adventure and make apple cider cupcakes! These also turned out well, and the house smelled amazing for an added bonus.

Again, I had a hard time tasting the flavor I was trying to add. If any pro bakers out there know of a site or a shop that sells a large variety of extracts, please let me know. Apple cider extract might have worked with this.

I decided to use a spice cake mix with this one. I figured a white cake mix would be to sweet. I also considered a lemon cake mix, but figured the lemon flavor would drown out the apple flavor.

APPLE CIDER CUPCAKES

You will need:

1 box spice cake mix

3 eggs

3 packets (or 3 oz) powdered apple cider mix

1/3 cups vegetable oil

2/3 cups water

1/3 cups apple cider (The non-sparkling, juice kind)

1/3 cups sparkling apple cider

2 cans whipped white frosting (The logic behind this is you don't serve hot apple cider with whipped cream, but it could potentially be foamy. Maybe. And cupcakes need frosting.)

Cinnamon sugar mixed with festive sugar sprinkles (As much as you see fit)

egg beater

large mixing bowl

enough cupcake tins to hold 24 cupcakes

24 festive paper cupcake wrappers

pastry bag with round nozzle

Prepare cake mix according to directions.

Pour apple cider mix into cake batter

Line cupcake tins with paper wrappers

Pour batter into tins

Bake according to directions on box

Remove cupcakes and allow to cool

Frost cupcakes

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar/sugar sprinkle combination to desired taste

Refrigerate remaining cupcakes not devoured

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

This holiday season, I decided to make cupcakes. I flipped through one of my mom's Women's World magazines and saw some recipes. It then dawned on me that you could probably add any flavored mix to white cake mix and get your own unique cupcakes.

This recipe did not come from that magazine, but rather my own mind (I was so proud of my brain). They turned out pretty well (they certainly got a great response when I passed them out-- thanks, everyone). Unfortunately, I couldn't give them out to everyone, but I can post my recipe! I'm going to add my notes as we go along.

HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

You will need:

1 box white cake mix

3 egg whites

1 1/3 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 packets (2 oz) powdered hot chocolate mix

54 mini marshmallows

2 cans vanilla or white frosting

egg beater

enough cupcake tins (or silicone cups) to hold 18 cupcakes

large mixing bowl

pastry bag and nozzle (I don't know the specific name for the nozzle. You'll want one that makes the frosting look like whipped cream on the top!)

18 festive paper cupcake wrappers

sprinkles if desired

Make the cake mix according to directions. Add hot chocolate packets into cake mix.

(You might be wondering why I chose white cake mix instead of just going for chocolate cake mix. I tend to make my hot chocolate with milk and it never turns out super chocolatey. I was going for that with this recipe. That being said, the sweet flavor of the white cake mix drowned out most of the chocolate flavor, in my oppinion. You could try replacing some of the water with chocolate syrup. At the store, I found chocolate-covered mini marshmallows! But they were naturally a little over-priced.)

Line the cupcake tins with paper cupcake wrappers.

Drop 3 mini marshmallows into each wrapper.

(They tend to rise during the baking process, but it's okay. Once they reach the top they melt, and then the top of your cupcake gets crunchy!)

Pour the batter into the cupcake tins.

(I just used a laddle. It was on-hand and simple.)

Bake cupcakes according to the directions on the cake mix box.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cover with frosting from pastry bag.

Sprinkle with festive sprinkles.

Refrigerate cupcakes you don't immediately devour.

Makes 18 servings.