One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 24

If you’re in the mood for chocolate cupcakes, but you’re out of milk, eggs, and butter, here’s a quick and easy vegan recipe that will do the trick. Or you can use the same batter to make an equally quick and easy cake!

Here’s What You Need

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ³⁄₄ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups water
• ³⁄₄ cup vegetable or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Baking Times

• Two 8- or 9-inch round or square pans = 30 minutes
  
• One 13- by 9- by 2-inch pan = 40 minutes
  
• Two 12-cup muffin pans = 25 minutes
  

Here's What You Do

1. 1. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. If you’re making a cake, grease the pan.
   
2. 2. Stir the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a large bowl.
   
3. 3. Add the water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix it up with a spoon until nice and smooth.
   
4. 4. Pour the batter into the muffin pans until they are two-thirds full. Bake for 25 minutes (longer for a cake), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
   

Mix & Match

Cupcake Decorating Party

Bake cupcakes, set out colored frosting and sprinkles, and invite friends and family to roll up their sleeves and design edible masterpieces. At the end of the party, be sure to arrange the cupcakes on a table so everyone can ooh and aah. Here are some sweet ideas to get you started:

Bright Balloons Bright Colored Cupcakes + Shoestring Licorice

Cub Cake Mini Peppermint Patty Paw + Chocolate Chip Toes + White Cupcake + Shredded Coconut

Fruit Flowers Almond Petals + Berry Flower Center

Easter Basket Pipe Cleaner + Jelly Beans + Green Coconut Grass

Spring Butterfly Mini Pretzel Wings + M&M Head + Gummy Worm Body + Licorice Antennae

Spooky Sweets White Frosting Mummy Stripes + Candy Eyes

Say “Cheese!” Cake

Makes 8–10 servings

This creamy cheesecake is made with a graham cracker crust and a cream cheese filling. Top it with fresh berry sauce for extra flavor.

Here’s What You Need

Crust

• 10 graham crackers
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest, optional

Strawberry Sauce

• 1 pint strawberries, stemmed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Special Equipment

• 8- or 9-inch springform pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Here's What You Do

1. 1. To make the crust, crush the graham crackers in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Add the melted butter, and stir to combine.
   
2. 2. Press the crust into the bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
   
3. 3. Whip the cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the sugar, flour, eggs, cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, and blend thoroughly.
   
4. 4. Pour the filling over the crust.
   
5. 5. Bake for 1 hour, or until the center is set and no longer jiggly. Cool completely (or refrigerate overnight).
   
6. 6. Make a fresh berry sauce by blending the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle it over slices of cheesecake.
   

Kitchen Creativity

Baker’s Secret

For an extra creamy texture to your cheesecake, bake it in a bain-marie, or water bath. Here’s how.

1. 1. Before filling the springform pan, tightly wrap the bottom and sides with foil.
2. 2. Pour in the filling and set the pan in a larger baking dish.
3. 3. Fill the larger baking dish with water to just below the foil.
4. 4. Bake until the center of the cheesecake is set.

After-School Apple Cake

Makes 15–18 servings

When apples are in season, bake up this favorite fall dessert. Enjoy it after school or dinner and pack extras in your lunchbox for a wholesome school sweet.

Here’s What You Need

• 6 apples
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ³⁄₄ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1¹⁄₄ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1¹⁄₂ cups all-purpose flour
• ¹⁄₂ cup whole-wheat flour

Here's What You Do

1. 1. Have a grown-up help you peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon.
   
2. 2. In another large bowl, blend the oil, eggs, and sugar with a whisk.
   
3. 3. Add the baking powder and flours, and mix well.
   
4. 4. Pour the batter over the apples, gently stirring until the apples are just coated.
   
5. 5. Grease and flour a 13- by 9- by 2-inch pan. Scrape the batter into the pan with a spatula, and spread it into an even layer.
   
6. 6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan before cutting it into small squares.
   

Mini Strawberry Shortcakes

Makes 6

These bite-size treats are a fun, fresh dessert to make when strawberry season starts.

Here’s What You Need

• 2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced (about 5 cups)
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1³⁄₄ cups flour
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¹⁄₂ cup milk
• Whipped cream, for topping (Whipped Cream)
• Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Here's What You Do

1. 1. Place the sliced strawberries in a large bowl, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Stir well. Cover, and let the berries sit for at least 1 hour, or until some juice forms in the bottom of the bowl.
   
2. 2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar with the flour, salt, baking powder, and butter in a large bowl with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks sandy.
   
3. 3. Add the milk, and mix to form a soft dough.
   
4. 4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll to ¹⁄₄-inch thickness.
   
5. 5. Cut out the shortcakes with a small, round cookie cutter or the top of a spice jar. Place the rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
   
6. 6. When you’re ready to serve, slice the shortcakes in half, and place the bottoms on plates. Spoon a few strawberries over each shortcake, and add a dollop of whipped cream.
   
7. 7. Place the tops of the shortcakes on the whipped cream, followed by another layer of whipped cream and a few more strawberries. Enjoy as is, or garnish with mini chocolate chips!