I love baking not only because it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge my sweet tooth, but because I can shower my friends and family with sweet goodies. Sharing my creations is just as much fun as eating them myself. Well, almost.
Which is why, when I heard about the Duncan Hines® 1 MILLION Cupcake Challenge to raise funds for Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale to help end childhood hunger, I jumped for joy. I get to bake and help spread the word about ending childhood hunger? Yes please!
Now through July 24th, 2011 the Duncan Hines 1 MILLION Cupcake Challenge provides bakers with the opportunity to win fabulous prizes including one of five trips for two to Los Angeles and seats on the Red Carpet of the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Every week the participants who raise the most funds for Share Our Strength have the opportunity to earn a matching donation from Duncan Hines.
How awesome is that?
To get started, visit the Duncan Hines Cupcake Challenge web site and simply sign-up to host a Great American Bake Sale and then send in Duncan Hines Box Bottoms for a Chance to Win One of Five Trips to Los Angeles for seats on the Red Carpet at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
If you need some bake sale inspiration, DuncanHines.com has plenty of tasty recipes such as the zesty and creamy Lemon Chocolate Cupcakes {recipe below}. There’s also an instructional video on the Duncan Hines Facebook page for a refreshing take on these decadent chocolate cupcakes.
And now, on to the good stuff. The recipe. Chocolate. Lemon. Cream cheese. Oh my!
This recipe was provided to me by Duncan Hines, but it was the first time I’ve attempted to make a filled cupcake. Let me just say, it’s not nearly as impossible as it sounds.
Let me demonstrate.
You bake the rich, chocolatey cupcakes and allow them to cool. Then using a pairing knife, cut a small hole in the cupcakes, about the size of a nickel. Be sure not to cut more than 2/3′s of the way down. Start by inserting the knife into the cupcake at a slight angle, then slowly turn the cupcake in a complete circle while cutting. See, it’s easy!
Fill the cupcake with the lemon filling, licking your fingers as you go.
Then top with the sweetly-tart cream cheese frosting.
To finish it all off, decorate with a lemon drop, your favorite lemon candy or a few yellow sprinkles.
Then share with your friends. Because that’s the best part. That, and licking the frosting bowl clean.
Ingredients
- 1 package Duncan Hines® Triple Chocolate® Decadent Cake Mix plus ingredients to make cupcakes {eggs, oil, water}
- 1 cup jarred or homemade {recipe below} lemon curd
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh or bottled lemon juice
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tub Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Cream Cheese Frosting
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- Yellow food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Bake cupcakes as directed on the package and let cool completely.
- Using a paring knife, cut a small inverted cone out of the top center of the cupcake. Cut no more than 2/3 of the way down into the cupcake.
- Fill the empty space in the cupcake with lemon curd (about one teaspoon).
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk eggs together.
- Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Microwave in 1 minute increments until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 3 minutes for my microwave.
- Stir, cover and store in the fridge.
- Using a fine grater, take off the yellow zest of the entire lemon.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze juice into a small bowl.
- Stir the lemon zest to the cream cheese frosting.
- Start by adding one teaspoon of lemon juice to the frosting. Mix and taste.
- For a stronger lemon taste add 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
- Add a drop of yellow food color to frosting and mix in thoroughly.
- Frost filled cupcakes cupcakes and serve.
Ready to link up with Sweet Tooth Friday? I only have a few rules:
- Link directly to your recipe {sweet-recipes only please}, not to the main page of your blog.
- Link back to my blog and/or include the Sweet Tooth Friday button {code is below and in the side bar}.
- Visit a few of the other blogs. Spread the sweet-love!
- Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Twitter, or like me on Facebook.
- Stop by again on Saturday. Each week I pick my five favorite recipes. If you are featured I have a nifty button you can add to your blog.
This post is proudly linked up to Mondays: Mouthwatering Mondays, Made By You Monday, Simply Share It, Mingle Monday Tuesdays: Tuesdays and the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,Tasty Tuesday, It’s a Blog Party, Tip Junkie Wednesdays: Show and Tell, Works for Me Wednesday, Thursdays: Ultimate Recipe Swap, It’s a Keeper Thursdays, Strut Your Stuff, Full Plate Thursdays Thrilling Thursday, Chic & Crafty Party Fridays: I’m Loving It, Foodie Friday, Grocery Cart Challenge, Food on Fridays, Friday Pot Luck, Walnut Avenue: Foodie Friday Saturdays:Sweets for a Saturday Sundays: So Sweet Sunday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
These look so good! I have come to love lemon treats in the past few years…and these are combined with chocolate!
How exciting! I get to hear about a great cause AND see step-by-step instructions for filling cupcakes! Those are gorgeous, Alli. Thanks so much for linking this to Food on Fridays.
great links again this week! Thank you for the invite very much. I adore your posts/blog. take care.
Your photos are great! Lemon curd is new to me – - but I saw a jar at the store the other day and wondered if it was pudding. I will be lazy and purchase the jar and then try your cup cakes. They look delicious.
God Morning Alli! The chocolate lemon cupcakes look so beautiful! This week we’ve linked up two sweet recipes – rhubarb compote with vanilla bean ice cream and Mimi’s strawberry meringue pie! Have a wonderful weekend – Cares
those sound amazing. I am linking up and old post but a goody! Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Those cupcakes look divine! I have never made lemon curd, now I want to try! Thanks for sharing, and hosting!
-Aimee
Thanks Alli for hosting for Sweet Tooth Friday. I just linked up my Yuja Chiffon Cake.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks for letting me know about your Sweet Tooth link up. I was flattered and very happy to add my raspberry sauce to the list.
Your cupcakes look incredible. I LOVE lemon curd. I can’t wait to try these.
Love them!
mickey
Lemon and Chocolate…my mother would have loved this combination! XOXO
wow, this looks so yummy. i am really craving chocolate today and this is making my mouth water!
Well, I don’t see how you could go wrong with both lemon and chocolate…these are absolutely mouthwatering!
Mmm, that chocolate lemon combo looks delish. I definitely want a bite of them. I linked up this week with my Strawberry Chocolate Chip Bread. It tastes just like chocolate covered strawberries.
Oh thank you so very much for the invitation to join in on the fun! Boy do I love sweets. Lemon curd is one of my favorites and those cupcakes arekilling me!
Thanks for the invitation to your party. Your recipe sure looks wonderful!
Thank you again for hosting. Have a great week!
Ooooh hoo hoo, these look amazingly delicious! I’m usually only into desserts that are chocolatey, but for some reason have been craving everything lemon this weekend. This looks perfect!
Hey I host a blog hop and I’d LOVE if you came over and shared a recipe! Here’s the link
http://thesweetdetail.blogspot.com/search/label/Savory%20Sunday
These sound so delicious and are so pretty! Thanks for linking up at Muffin and Cupcake Monday!
You share the yummiest recipes!!
Thank you so much for linking this up as well!
Hugs,
Vanessa
{ 1 trackback }