Surprise your friends with something sweet this spring. Whether you want to add a little flavor to your weekly meetings or aren’t sure what to bring to your next potluck, these cupcakes just might work. They each take less than an hour to make and serve about 20 people.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup melted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

2 cups buttermilk

½ tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 ¾ cups flour

4 cups carrots (cut carrots in ½ to measure)

about 1 ½ cups of walnuts

1 can of cream cheese frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until well mixed.
3. Grate the carrots using a cheese grater, then pour into the butter mixture and stir until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
4. In another bowl, stir salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour.
5. Pour the flour mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until all dry ingredients are mixed in and carrots are evenly spread out.
6. Fill cupcake pans with liners. (batter should fill about 20 liners)
7. Fill liners two-thirds of the way with batter.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool.
9. Spread about a spoonful of frosting over each cupcake, then sprinkle each cupcake with a spoonful of walnuts.

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup melted butter

1 cup milk

½ cup vanilla flavored yogurt

1 2/3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 can strawberry frosting

pink sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine water, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and butter in a blender.
3. Beat eggs, milk and yogurt in a bowl.
4. Add flour and baking powder and mix well.
5. Line cupcake pan with liners.
6. Fill liners two-thirds of the way up with batter.
7. Bake for 20 minutes then let cool.
8. Cover cupcakes with a spoonful of frosting, then shower with sprinkles.

Vanilla Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Frosting:

1 pint of heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. of melted butter

Cupcakes:

½ cup sugar

1 stick of butter (softened)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 cups of milk

1 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

1. Beat whipping cream until peaks appear. Mix in powder sugar, vanilla and melted butter. Refrigerate while completing other steps.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Combine butter and sugar using beater.
4. Add vanilla, eggs and milk, and beat well.
5. In another bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder together.
6. Pour dry ingredients into butter and vanilla mixture and stir everything together.
7. Fill cupcake pans with cupcake liners and fill about two-thirds high.
8. Bake for 20 minutes.
9. Spread refrigerated cream mixture over each cupcake.