Sunshine Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with 16 foil cupcake liners; set aside.
• Place shortbread cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl; stir until well combined; set aside.
• In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix just until combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add vegetable oil, water, and the box of lemon pudding. Mix until combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Batter will be on the thick side.
• Place a slightly heaping tablespoon of shortbread cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use your fingers or the bottom of a small glass to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining shortbread cookie crumb mixture for topping.
• Use a 1/4 cup spring loaded ice cream scoop and place a level scoop full of batter into each muffin cup.
• Load the lemon curd into a small sandwich size resealable bag, removing the air from the bag before sealing. Squeeze the curd to 1 corner of the bag and use scissors to snip a 1/4- inch piece from corner of bag; set aside.
• With a damp finger or the end of a wooden spoon dipped in water, make a shallow indentation into the center of each cupcake. Pipe 3/4 to 1 teaspoon lemon curd into each indentation. Sprinkle tops of cupcakes evenly with remaining shortbread cookie crumbs.
• Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until edges of cupcakes are lightly golden brown.
• Serve cupcakes warm from the oven or at room temperature.
• A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line one 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt.
• Beat together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg, yolk, zest and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake until a tester inserted in the middle of the cakes come out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the tin, and then remove and cool completely on a rack.
• Put the lemon curd in a piping bag fitted with a 1/8-inch-round pastry tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake and pipe in equal amounts of curd.
• Combine the egg whites, corn syrup, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and the remaining pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Beat with an electric mixer until thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat until the frosting is slightly cooled, about 2 minutes longer.
• Mound the frosting on top of the cupcakes. If desired, use a kitchen torch to brown the frosting and garnish with a lemon candy.

Steps:

• Beat the eggs, and add them to the boxed cake mix. Add the oil and the mandarine oranges to the batter; remember to add the juice as well as the fruit. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Bake the cake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cool on wire rack.
• While cake is baking, prepare the frosting by mixing together the whipped dessert topping, the package of instant pudding, and the crushed pineapple with its juices. Set frosting in refrigerator to set. Frost when cake has thoroughly cooled.

Steps:

• Frost cupcakes with lemon/yellow frosting.
• Place 2 brown M&M's as eyes on cupcake.
• Place 10 candy corns around edge of cupcakes with widest part on cupcake rim to make sunshine "rays.".
• Use red icing to make smile on cupcakes.
• ENJOY!