It’s no secret that I like to bake, and I have a huge collection of cupcake recipes to rival even Kylie’s! I’m always on the lookout for something fun and new—and I found it in Megan Seling’s book and blog (Bake it in a Cupcake: 50 Treats with a Surprise Inside; www.bakeitinacake.com)! Basically, there is nothing this woman is afraid to put in the middle of a cupcake, and I love that element of surprise and adventure! I asked her to chat…

Carrie: Why is it cool to add an element of surprise to a cupcake?

Megan: Cupcakes are so great on their own—they’re practically the perfect dessert—but the inside of the cupcake has always felt a little empty to me. The bottom of the cupcake is the perfect size and shape to hold a piece of candy, a miniature pie, or a brownie bite, so why not hide something in there? People get really happy when they take a bite and discover that their cupcake is holding a secret treat—it’s like getting a second dessert!

Carrie: What is the weirdest thing you have ever baked in a cupcake?

Megan: Oh, man, I have had a lot of weird baking experiments. I tried to put Dr Pepper and jelly beans in cupcakes, and that just tasted gross. And while I love gummy worms and Starburst candy, they don’t really work in a cupcake, unfortunately. When you bake them into a cupcake, they turn into gross, sticky puddles of goo. The sugary candy just melts and sinks to the bottom, and all the colors blend together and everything turns a greenish brown. Eww! I definitely wasn’t expecting that. It took forever to soak the burned sugar bits off my cupcake pan. I’ve also baked mini marzipan brains into cupcakes. They taste great, but some people get really creeped out by the idea of biting into a brain…even if it is candy.

Carrie: How many cupcakes have you made over the years? What have been your faves?

Megan: I have baked a lot of cupcakes—I’m sure I’ve baked thousands over the years. My absolute favorite is the pumpkin-pie-stuffed cupcake. Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite desserts, and the creamy texture of a pumpkin pie works really well with the texture of the cake. I also really like the lemon-bar-stuffed cupcakes—they taste like lemonade!

Carrie: How can kids learn to be amazing cupcake bakers?

Megan: The most important rule: don’t be afraid to experiment! Sometimes the best and only way to know if your idea will work is to try it. And if it’s a disaster, that’s okay too! Not everything you bake will turn out how you expect it, and that certainly doesn’t mean you’re a bad baker. Just move on to the next idea. The first time I baked a mini pie into a cupcake, I didn’t think it was going to work, but it did! And it was delicious.

Also, practice really does help. When I started baking cupcakes, I was really quite bad at frosting them—I didn’t know how to use a pastry bag, and all my cupcakes looked kind of goofy and sloppy. But I practiced with different kinds of decorations and I got better at it, so don’t get discouraged when you first start out. As you bake and make things, you’ll learn what you’re good at and be able to bring your own flare to your creations.

Carrie: What’s the secret to a delicious cupcake? What are the elements it must have?

Megan: Butter! Butter definitely helps make really delicious cupcakes. But the thing I really love about cupcakes is that there are no rules. You can have a cupcake with chocolate glaze instead of frosting. You can make cupcakes in different shapes like square or heart shaped, or you can even serve a cupcake upside down!

Carrie: Why are cupcakes cooler than any other dessert? Even cronuts and macaroons!

Megan: Cupcakes are so great because they can be as easy or as fancy as you want them to be. If you don’t have much time, whip up a batch of basic cupcakes with a box mix, or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, make the batter from scratch and throw in some experimental ingredients. You can keep things simple and frost them with a traditional swirl of vanilla frosting, or you can get crazy and use all kinds of sprinkles, fondant, and other decorations. Cupcakes are so versatile. Which isn’t to say cronuts and macaroons aren’t good too—in fact, maybe you should try to bake them into a cupcake!