Cupcake

This recipe works with most fruit. For extra yum, add mini chocolate chips.

These gorgeous cupcakes have a sweet surprise inside: They're filled with a dollop of raspberry jam. Half of the cupcakes have a pale yellow lemon glaze; the rest are topped with a pink raspberry-lemon glaze.

This is one of our most popular cakes at the bakery. Half of the customers love it because they haven't eaten it since their grandmother made it when they were kids, and the other half because they think the red color is really neat. But everyone thinks it's delicious.

These delightful cupcakes are great as soon as they've cooled, but their carrot-cake moistness and hint of spice really come through the day after they're baked.

Impress your guests with these individual flourless chocolate cakes. The lack of flour makes the cakes very moist—and causes them to sink a bit in the middle.

Remember to add eggs, oil, and milk to your shopping list if your cake mix of choice requires them—or, if you are very short on time, use ready-made cupcakes. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

These little gems stirred up our childhood memories of coconut-filled candy bars. We baked them in extra-large muffin cups to make them more like little individual cakes. If you choose to use regular-sized muffin cups, the recipe will yield 24 cupcakes and the cooking time will be shorter.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Jennifer Appel's Buttercup Bakes at Home. To read Epicurious's review of the cookbook, click here. While most of my customers seem to live for the icings and toppings on my cupcakes, this "black bottom" cupcake is sure to please just as it is. It's become my all-time personal favorite.

These delicate, lightly spiced cupcakes are reminiscent of carrot cake. Grated zucchini makes them exceptionally moist.

Brandi Neuwirth of Cary, North Carolina, writes: "My family and I moved here from Los Angeles last year, and my new surroundings have really influenced my cooking. There's a great farmers' market nearby where I get lots of local ingredients. The produce there inspired me to create this dish, which is a real taste of the South."

Coconut milk enhances the taste of the white chocolate; kumquats add tang.

Freezing the berries before adding them to the batter prevents them from sinking to the bottom and from discoloring the cupcakes. Maple sugar can be found at some supermarkets and natural foods stores.