CANDY BAR CUPCAKES RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, egg whites and peppermint extract with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter in half. To 1 portion, add food color; stir until uniform in color. In each muffin cup, place 2 tablespoons red batter; top with 2 tablespoons white batter. Swirl white batter through red batter with knife for marbled design.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Frost cupcakes with frosting. Top each with crushed peppermint candies.

Steps:

• For the Chocolate CakePreheat the oven to 325 degrees,  Grease and flour two (8x2 inch) round cake pans if you plan to split the layers as we did. You could also use three (8x2 inch) cake pans if not splitting the layers. Put a circle of parchment or waxed paper into the bottom of each pan. In the mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: cake mix, flour, and pudding mix.  Whisk to blend.  Add the eggs, sour cream, water, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.  Mix on low speed to blend increasing to medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix another minute.   Divide the batter among the two prepared pans.   Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. It should also spring back when lightly pressed with your finger.   If baking in three 8-inch pans, the time will be closer to 22-25 minutes.  For the Candy Bar Whipped Cream Cheese FrostingUsing a grater, create chocolate shavings from the 4 Hershey Bars and set aside Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 15 minutes before whipping the cream (30 minutes if chilling the bowl in the refrigerator.) Use the whisk attachment for a stand mixer or beaters on your hand mixer.  Beat the cream until stiff peaks form.  This can happen very quickly so don't walk away from the mixer.  You are at the stiff peak stage when you lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak, or folds slightly over. Keep the whipped cream in the refrigerator while completing the next step. In another bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Beat until very smooth.  Gently fold this into the bowl of whipped cream. Also, fold in the chocolate shavings. Cover and refrigerate.  If you are piping this frosting and it becomes too soft, just refrigerate the filled piping bag for a short while.   Assembling the Candy Bar CakeWe baked two thick chocolate cake layers and used a knife to carefully split them into four thinner cake layers. This is an optional step but we like that it allows for more filling into each slice! To assemble, place the first cake layer on the pedestal or cake platter. Spread with frosting, follow with the next layer, and repeat for the next two cake layers. Frost with an even layer of frosting. For the Chocolate CurlsUsing an additional 1-2 Hershey Bars, (or one thicker, larger Hershey bar) I created chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler. You may have to experiment a bit- the chocolate curls best when it is ever so slightly warm. I chilled the curls in the freezer for about 5 minutes to firm them up and then added them around the top edge of the cake. Use a toothpick to move and apply the chilled curls if you'd like -- they are fragile. Because of the whipped cream and cream cheese frosting, this cake should be refrigerated until closer to the time of serving. It can be remove from the refrigerator an hour or so before serving.