Cooking With Kids: Surprise Cupcakes

on October 19, 2009 at 7:00 AM

When my sister and I were little, our neighbor used to always bake us chocolate cupcakes with Rolos in the middle for our birthdays. They were my favorite—moist chocolate cake with the little caramel candy hidden inside—and I looked forward to them every year.

Kids love Surprise Cupcakes—cupcakes with a fun surprise (like Rolos!) hiding in the center. Why not get them involved by helping you fill each cupcake with their favorite candy or other treat?

Here are a few ideas of things you can put in the middle of Surprise Cupcakes. The combinations are endless!

Miniature candy bars
Marshmallows
Junior Mints
Jam
Lemon curd
Chocolate chips
Pudding
Oreos

Tips for making "Surprise Cupcakes:"

When using candy or other solid filling, fill cupcake tins or liners with batter, then push a small piece halfway down into the batter. Sometimes tossing the candy with flour first helps to keep it from sinking down into the bottom of the cupcake.
If using a softer/more gooey filling (like jam or pudding), there are couple ways to do it. You can add the filling before baking: Fill cupcake tins or liners halfway with batter; add a small dab of jam; cover with a a spoonful of batter; bake. Or you can use a pastry bag pipe with a small tip and "inject" the filling into the top or bottom of the cupcake after baking.

And should you have a craving, Life's Ambrosia has the recipe for Rolo Cupcakes.

What would you put in Surprise Cupcakes?

Related Posts:

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe

Chocolate Cupcakes With Peanut Butter Frosting

Kids in the Kitchen: A How-To Guide

About the author Kim Conte

has shoes that make people stop her on the street and ask "Where did you get those?" but it doesn't work for taxi cabs as she was hit by one ... and lived to tell the tale. She has more freckles than Lohan but way less attitude. And she's a fierce cook with tons of recipes to share -- and wishes she could share some with Bourdain.