Page 172 - Cupcakes

Red, yellow, and orange sugar sprinkles, or 1 package (.33 ounce) Pop Rocks

candy, for garnish

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Mist 24
cupcake cups with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour. Shake out the excess
flour and set the pans aside.

2. Prepare the cupcake batter: Place the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, vinegar, cocoa
powder, baking soda, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric
mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine 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 ¼ cup

batter into each prepared cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You
will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes). Place the pans in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they peak and spring back when lightly pressed with
your finger, 11 to 13 minutes. Watch the cupcakes closely because they can burn
at this high heat. 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, 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 glazing.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: Place the milk, sugar, and butter in a small
saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, the butter
melts, and the mixture begins to come to a boil, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat
and stir in the white chocolate chips until they are dissolved and the glaze is
smooth.

5. Place the cupcakes on a serving plate or place waxed paper under the baking

rack to catch runoff glaze. With a serving spoon, ladle the hot glaze over the
cupcakes and immediately sprinkle them with the sugar or the candy so that the
colors melt into the glaze. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room
temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.