Springtime Poke Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes; cool 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, measure 1/4 cup of the dry gelatin into small bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of the boiling water 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add cold water. Cut small "X" in center of each cupcake with sharp knife. Carefully pour gelatin evenly over cupcakes. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir remaining 1/4 cup boiling water into remaining dry gelatin in small bowl 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Cool.
• Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar alternately with the gelatin, beating until well blended after each addition. (Add a small amount of hot water if the frosting is too stiff.) Spread frosting onto cupcakes. Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening; lightly flour.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, and milk, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating until blended and scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir gelatin in boiling water 2 minutes to completely dissolve gelatin. Poke warm cake every inch with tines of meat fork or table knife. Pour strawberry mixture slowly over cake, allowing mixture to fill holes in cake. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour.
• In small bowl, mix frosting and lemon peel. Frost cake. Garnish with berries and mint.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs until smooth. Spoon into muffin cups, filling cups half full.
• Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when gently touched. Cool in pans 3 minutes. Remove from pans; use end of wooden spoon to poke 3 holes into each hot cupcake.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate fudge topping uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until thin and pourable. Spoon over warm cupcakes, reserving about 1/4 cup. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat pudding mix and milk with whisk about 4 minutes or until soft set. Fold in whipped topping with spatula.
• Stir all but 1 1/2 cups crushed cookies into pudding mixture.
• Spoon pudding mixture on tops of cupcakes. Top with remaining crushed cookies and reserved chocolate fudge topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• PREPARE batter according to package directtions with the eggs, water and oil; bake as directed for cupcakes. (You can also use a white cake mix for this recipe.).
• Cool in pans 10 minutes. Pierce tops with fork.
• STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix until dissolved; spoon over cupcakes.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove from pans.
• TINT whipped topping with food coloring; spread over cupcakes. Decorate as desired.
• Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Prepare batter and bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 min. Pierce tops with fork.
• Stir boiling water into gelatin mix until dissolved; spoon over cupcakes. Refrigerate 30 min. Remove from pans.
• Tint whipped topping with food coloring; spread over cupcakes. Decorate as desired. Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make cake batter as directed on cake mix box, adding gelatin with the water. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full).
• Bake 22 to 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat powdered sugar and butter with spoon or with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Beat in vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Gradually beat in just enough of the remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Divide frosting among 4 small bowls. Stir 6 drops yellow food color into frosting in one bowl. Stir 4 drops red food color into frosting in second bowl. Stir 6 to 8 drops blue food color into frosting in third bowl. Stir 4 drops yellow and 2 drops red food color into frosting in fourth bowl.
• Frost 6 cupcakes with each color of frosting. Poke 4 or 5 white vanilla baking chips, flat side up, into frosting on each cupcake to look like polka dots. Store loosely covered.