Cookbooks

These brightly colored cupcakes are very simple to make—a food processor handles all the mixing. You’ll find slivered pistachios at specialty stores or online retailers; you may substitute chopped pistachios instead.

Add a sleek touch to a significant celebration, such as an engagement party, with cupcakes topped with striking caramel-dipped hazelnut spikes. Dark chocolate frosting is shown, but caramel buttercream (page 307) is another option (and would complement the toppers).

This recipe was developed as a more healthy option to serve at a baby’s or young child’s birthday party. Sweetened only with a combination of maple syrup and molasses, the moist carrot cupcakes are sure to entice children and adults alike (which is helpful, since parents and other older guests often outnumber little ones at early birthday celebrations). Paired with a tangy, mildly sweet frosting—just cream cheese and maple syrup—the cupcakes are also a better choice than most for anyone watching his or her refined sugar intake. Mini cupcakes get only a dab of frosting and a candied carrot chip, while standard cupcakes are dotted with a generous amount of frosting.

With their crackly, sunken tops, these chocolate cupcakes seem tailor-made for cradling scoops of ice cream. In place of flour and leaveners, whipped egg whites produce cakes with a light-as-air texture.

Anyone allergic to nuts, eggs, or dairy shouldn’t miss out on all the fun. Whether someone in your family has dietary restrictions or you’re making treats for a whole classroom of kids, these chocolate cupcakes should suit most needs. Divvies Bakery, which specializes in allergen-free sweets, kindly shared this recipe on The Martha Stewart Show.

Golden tendrils of spun sugar formed into a “nest” make a dramatic cupcake topper. Despite its delicate appearance, spun sugar is actually pliable and requires no special handling (except during the cooking stage, when the caramel must be cooked to the proper temperature). The spun sugar should be used the same day; let it drape over the spoon, then shape threads into balls just before placing on a frosted cupcake.

Boston cream pie—which, of course, is not a pie at all—originated at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in the 1850s. When home cooks replicated the dessert, they baked the soft yellow sponge cake in pie tins (hence the name), which were more readily available than cake pans. This petite variation is at once familiar and novel.

Counting sheep was never this much fun. The mini-marshmallow sheep are darling on their own, but for an extra-special presentation, you can herd them into a fondant-covered pasture bordered by a wooden fence constructed from coffee stirrers (see box below).

You can use any variety of jam to fill these versatile little cakes, as well as vary the type of citrus used in the batter and in the glaze. You could also substitute milk glaze (page 63) for the citrus glaze used here.

Memories of childhood birthday cakes will be evoked by this sweet frosting, made quickly with just three ingredients and a handheld mixer (a standing mixer will take even less time). This frosting can also be tinted with food color; add a drop at a time and stir with a flexible spatula until well combined before adding more.

This deep, dark, satiny frosting (thanks to the addition of melted semisweet chocolate) is a favorite of Martha Stewart Living food editors, since it has just the right consistency for spreading or piping into beautiful swirls. It also has a wonderful sheen.

Baked inside sugar cones, these cupcakes-in-hiding combine the best aspects of an ice cream sundae (all those great toppings!) in a no-melt treat. The cones are adorned with buttercream and topped with the usual fixings—whipped cream, colorful sprinkles, chopped nuts, melted chocolate, and even a cherry on top. Any leftover batter can be baked in mini muffin tins. An old-fashioned ice-cream-cone stand is a charming (and convenient) way to serve the cupcakes.

An abundance of creamy peanut-butter filling renders these cupcakes extra-rich and irresistible. The batter and filling—each whisked together by hand—are layered, then swirled to create the marbleized pattern on top.

Made with beaten egg whites, this frosting is similar to meringue, but is more stable and sturdy enough for piping. And, like meringue, it also takes well to browning with a small kitchen torch. Use immediately, as the frosting will harden quickly (have your piping bag ready).

The mild and sweet flavor of Meyer lemon is one of Martha’s favorites; these zest-flecked cupcakes are filled with Meyer lemon curd, which peeks out from the tops. The fruit, which is actually a lemon-orange hybrid, is generally available at specialty stores in winter and early spring. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, use regular lemons instead. The recipe yields a lot of cupcakes, so you may want to consider these for a bake sale or large gathering, such as a shower or special birthday celebration.

Each of these chewy brownie cupcakes has a secret center: a chocolate-covered peppermint patty. To ensure they have a dense, fudgy texture, be careful not to overbake (start checking at thirty minutes).

Encourage a bit of clowning around with these crowd-pleasing cupcakes, brought to life with features fashioned from colorful sprinkles and candy. Cone-shaped pieces of cake cut from the centers become pointed hats that rest atop heads (and hidden bellies) piped with creamy frosting.

Versatile, tangy, and quick to prepare, cream-cheese frosting has a perfectly soft consistency for swirling or swooping. It’s the classic choice for topping many cupcakes, including carrot and red velvet, and is also especially good with others, such as zucchini-spice and applesauce-spice.