Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor

The cupcake is America's darling. It's celebrated in upscale bakeries, on <i>Sex in the City</i>, on the cover of <i>Gourmet</i>, and in thou-sands of classrooms - where every day, it seems, a parent has sent in a batch for the kids to share. The very word conjures up whimsy, coziness, pleasure, nostalgia. Not to mention the fact that their diminutive size means you can eat a lot of them. <br><br> Once upon a time, a family had only two recipes for cupcakes - chocolate and vanilla. Not anymore. Now Anne Byrn brings them to the next level. And who better? Recognized as the master of cake-mix baking, Anne is the author of <i>The Cake Mix Doctor</i> and <i>Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor</i>, which have a total of over 1.8 million copies in print. In <i>Cupcakes</i> she offers 135 tempting recipes for children and grown-ups, for special days and everyday, lunch bags, holiday festivities, and an unexpected dinner party dessert. <br><br>You'll never believe these artful little cakes started with a mix. Coconut Snowballs, Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes, Kiss Me Cakes, Warm Chocolate Cupcakes with Molten Centers, Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting. There are surprising additions (tuck a chocolate kiss orpiece of cookie dough into the batter) . Creative toppings and easy from-scratch frostings (whipped cream spiked with Kahlua; miniature M&amp;Ms; a creamy malted frosting with crushed malted milk balls) .Terrific decorating ideas, from glittering golden dragees or elegant chocolate curls to yellow peeps for an Easter cupcake or - for Groundhog's Day - a groundhog's face made out of chocolate frosting and jimmies. Includes a 16-page full-color opening essay.