Graduation Cupcakes Recipes

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 box. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full). Press 1 milk chocolate drop in center of each muffin cup.
• Bake and cool as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.
• In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, melted baking bar and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Gradually beat in milk until smooth and creamy. Frost cupcakes; pipe year with melted dark chocolate onto each cupcake. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Cut fruit snack rolls into 12-inch pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 4 strips, using knife and straightedge. Roll each strip in a spiral around handle of wooden spoon. Store at room temperature at least 8 hours to set curl.
• Bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Tint half of frosting with food color. Frost cupcakes with frosting. Write "Congratulations" or "Congrats" and the graduate's name on cupcakes with decorating gel. Decorate other cupcakes with candy sprinkles and colored sugar. Unwrap fruit snack streamers from spoon handles. Reshape into desired curl; place on cupcakes. Cut additional fruit snack into small pieces and flower petal shapes; arrange on some of the cupcakes.
• Top some of the cupcakes with candy graduation caps. To make, place small amount of frosting on bottom of peanut butter cup. Press graham cracker onto peanut butter cup. To make tassel, tightly roll up small square of chewy fruit snack; cut fringe in one end and press other end to center of graham cracker.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Blend in dry drink mix; spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean; cool completely. Meanwhile, spread 1 tsp. melted chocolate onto each graham square to completely cover top of graham; place in single layer on baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm.
• Remove liners from cupcakes; place cupcakes upside-down on plate. Use wooden spoon handle to poke deep hole in center of each cupcake, being careful to not poke through to bottom of cupcake. Spoon COOL WHIP into resealable plastic bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of bag; use to pipe COOL WHIP into holes and onto tops of cupcakes, reserving small amount of COOL WHIP for later use. Top cupcakes with grahams, chocolate sides up, to resemble graduation caps.
• Use fruit rolls to make tassels for caps. (See tip.) Add 1 tassel and jelly bean to top of each graham square, securing each with dab of remaining COOL WHIP.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350; line muffin tins with cupcake holders.
• Prepare the batter according to the directions on the box. (Duncan Hines' classic yellow cake mix calls for the measures of liquid and eggs I listed in the ingredients.).
• Pour batter into the muffin tins; be sure not to over-fill the cups, because you want the tops of the cupcakes to be somewhat flat.
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes; remove and let cool completely.
• Peel the paper liners from the cupcakes; invert cupcakes onto a foil-lined tray. Spread 1/4 teaspoon of chocolate spread on the bottom (now top) of each cupcake; top with a graham cracker square.
• Cut the Twizzlers rope into three equal pieces. Separate into individual strings. Dip the end of each string into chocolate spread, and gently press into the center of the graham cracker.