In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl using a mixer, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time mixing in between. Then mix in the mashed banana.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Evenly distribute batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove pan from oven and set it on a rack. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the buttercream:
Beat butter for a few minutes in the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and turn your mixer on low. Beat until the sugar incorporates with the butter. Add vanilla and heavy cream and beat on medium speed for another 3 minutes or until buttercream becomes light and fluffy.

Set aside half of the buttercream. Add Nutella to the remaining buttercream and beat until incorporated.

Fill two small piping bags one with the vanilla and one with the Nutella buttercream then snip off the ends. Prepare a big piping bag with a tip of your choice. Place the small bags in the big bag side by side. Frost the cupcakes and garnish with banana slices.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler (with simmering water in the bottom part of the double boiler), stirring occasionally. Once it’s smooth remove the bowl from the heat, and let chocolate cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl sift together flour and baking soda, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add the sour cream then mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add buttermilk, vanilla extract and melted chocolate and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, mixing well after each addition.

Using a medium sized ice cream scoop fill prepared pans with one full scoop each. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and set on a rack to cool.

For the buttercream:

In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together butter, powdered sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add food coloring as desired and mix until color is consistent throughout.

Pipe or spread frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

Note: Recipe makes roughly 24 cupcakes.

Transfer strawberries to a bowl, cover and microwave until strawberries are soft and have released their juice, about 5 minutes.

Place berries in a fine-mesh strainer set over a small saucepan. Firmly press the liquid out of the fruit until fruit is dry (juice should measure at least ¾ cup). Reserve strawberry solids in the refrigerator.

Bring juice to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to ¼ cup. This will take about 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk milk and vinegar into juice until combined; set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to evenly combine. Add this into the creamed mixture alternately with 1/4 cup of the milk mixture (beginning and ending with the flour), beating well after each addition.

Fill cups ⅔ full and bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and set it on a rack. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting: In the clean bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix butter and 3 cups confectioners’ sugar on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.

Increase speed to medium-high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Add the reserved strawberry solids and salt and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Add additional 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar as needed to thicken frosting. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.

Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Method and frosting recipe modified from Cooks Country.

Use a mixer to cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after adding each egg. Beat in the vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Beat half of the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Beat in half of the milk. Beat in remaining dry ingredients. Beat in the rest of the milk.

Fill cupcakes liners 2/3 full. Place one candy in the center of each cupcake.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs on it. Allow cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the tin. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Continue beating until mixture becomes stiff but spreadable. Gently fold in the crushed Oreo cookies. Place frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes. Serve.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add cake mix, egg, oil, and yogurt. Mix till completely combined. Stir in sliced strawberries.

Use a 1/3 measuring cup to fill your liners. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

For the icing:
In a clean bowl of your stand mixer, mix butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar and strawberry puree (see note below on how to make puree) and mix. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!

Note: To make the strawberry puree, take 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries that have been thawed (including the juice) and mash or process with a food processor.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla and strawberry purée.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix. Add the egg and egg whites and blend until combined. Next, add half of the flour mixture and continue to mix. Add the strawberry mixture, and mix again. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and combine, scraping the sides of the bowl to get all ingredients into the batter.

Fill each mini muffin tin 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 12 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when tested. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

While muffins are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium sized bowl beat all of the frosting ingredients together until light and fluffy. Top each cooled cupcake with frosting and a bit of the finely chopped strawberries. Enjoy.

Makes 36 mini cupcakes.

Cupcake recipe slightly adapted from Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes.

To assemble the cauldrons:
Makes the cakes however you choose. Allow to cool completely.

Turn cupcakes over so the bottom is facing up. Using a knife, cut holes into each cupcakes. Make sure the holes are relatively big and deep. Turn cupcakes back so they are standing the normal way.

Make the chocolate glaze for the cauldron bottoms by melting the chocolate and butter over low heat until thick and well combined. Allow to cool slightly off heat so it thickens slightly. Then, dip the top of each cupcake into the glaze.

Once all the cupcake tops have been covered in glaze, place three bittersweet chocolate chips on each cupcake, making the shape of a triangle. These chips act as the cauldron bottom’s feet. Place the cupcakes in the fridge and allow the glaze to set completely.

Once the glaze has set, turn the cupcakes back around, so they are sitting on their cauldron bottoms.

For the filling:
Using a spoon, place caramel into each of the holes in the cupcakes, making sure the caramel piles up on top of the cupcake. As the buttercream will be going around the outside of the caramel on the leftover cupcake top, you want to caramel to pile high above the buttercream.

Once each cupcake hole has been filled, place cupcakes in fridge while you make the buttercream.

For the buttercream icing:
Simply combine all of the buttercream ingredients together and cream with a mixer until smooth. The mixture should be a light brown, very smooth and creamy.

Using a flat knife, gently frost the remaining top of the cupcakes with the buttercream. The buttercream should simply make a circle around the caramel filling, with the caramel piled above the buttercream. Then, sprinkle whatever decorations you please over the caramel. I used a variety.

Place the cupcakes in the fridge for another few minutes while you prepare the cauldron handles.

For the cauldron handles:
Place a flat tray in the freezer for no longer than 5 minutes. When removed, cover in wax paper and lightly coat the wax paper in oil spray. Melt the chocolate melts together and place into a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag, place the chocolate into a sandwich bag and squeeze the chocolate into one corner. Cut off one end of the bag and pipe the chocolate out that way.

Before you pipe out the handles, measure the distance you need between each handle (I needed a 4- 4 ½ cm distance between each side of the handle). Using a ruler, measure out the correct handle width and then pipe out the handles on the cold wax paper. Simply make a U-shape in the necessary width with the melted chocolate. Using a cold tray helps the handles to set faster.

Place the handles in the fridge to set. Once set, remove both the handles and the cupcakes. It won’t take too long. The buttercream should be slightly set by now.

To complete the assembly, gently pry the handles from the wax paper and place into cupcakes. As you will be placing the handles into buttercream and then into the cupcake itself, to make the handles stay in place, make indents into the buttercream and cupcake with a knife. Place the handle into the small indent you made with the knife. It will help to keep the handles up straight.

Once the handles are in, return the cupcakes to the fridge to set once more. Again, this will not take long.

Serve the cupcakes cold and store in refrigerator.

In the bowl of your stand mixer add cake mix, egg, purée (see note below regarding the puree), water, oil and Greek yogurt. Mix till completely combined.

Use a 1/3 measuring cup to fill your liners. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

For the icing:
In the clean bowl of your stand mixer mix butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar and peach juice and mix.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!

Note: To make the peach puree, take half a can of peaches with juice and mash or process with food processor.

In a medium-sized bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer beat the butter until soft and creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Add egg yolks, in two batches, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

Now line a cupcake tin or muffin tin with paper cups (recipe makes 12 cupcakes). Pour batter into cups. Fill to about 2/3 full. Don’t over fill.

Bake at 175 C for about 25 minutes. Cupcakes are ready when the top springs back when you touch it with your finger. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.)

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool before decorating. When the cupcakes are cool, fill a pastry bag with the buttercream frosting and pipe onto the cakes. Use a piping bag with a star nozzle if you have one.

Serve and enjoy.