Cupcakes in a Cup, 3 Different

All look so impressive
but sooo easy to put together.

You can use either the regular or large
size cupcakes.
Today, I'm using the regular size cupcakes.

1.)
  Strawberry Shortcakes

Start with your favorite white cake or shortcake

baked in muffin cups, cool, remove the cupcake

paper and drop in the bottom of a 

clear plastic disposable cup.

Top with sliced fresh strawberries.

Pipe some whipped topping on top.

Garnish with a whole strawberry.

(leave the strawberry leaf/stem on

for a pretty color element).

2. )
Chocolate Cherry  a.k.a. Black Forest

Your favorite chocolate cupcakes,

This is my faaavorite chocolate cake
nice and moist and chocolately!
It's an eggless recipe that I've seen in those
group fundraiser cookbooks under the name
of Crazy Cake.

In a small mixing bowl sift together:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white granulated sugar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon Arm & Hammer baking soda

a few dashes of salt (less than 1 teaspoon)

In a different small bowl (or glass 2 cup measuring cup with pour spout works great),

whisk to blend then pour into dry ingredients above:

1 cup water

1/2 cup cooking oil, such as Crisco Canola Oil

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon good vanilla (I like McCormicks Clear Imitation Vanilla)

Stir all together with a wire whisk 'til well blended and smooth.

Pour into UNgreased 8x8 baking pan, or 12 cup cupcake tin with liners.

(Because there are no raw eggs you can lick the utensils and bowl, yum!!)

Bake in 350 degrees oven for approx. 20 minutes or until cake is puffed and springy,

wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

So... drop a cooled cupcake into the plastic cup,

Top with a big spoonful of cherry pie filling 

straight out of the can.

Pipe on the whipped topping,

and garnish with a single cherry.
I've recently seen prepackaged shaved/curled 
chocolate in the baking aisle.  
Wish I'd had some to sprinkle on top
around the cherry....next time I will.

3.)
  Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

Sorry for the picture quality of some of these.  

I'd just removed these from the refrigerator

and the plastic cup fogged up making it

difficult to see the cake inside.

I'd seen pineapple upside down cupcakes
on Pinterest ....something new to me....
and they looked wonderful so of course
I had to try them.
I definitely recommend using the large size
cupcakes for these.  I used the regular size
and by the time I had the pineapple ring
in the muffin tin there was almost no room
for cake and it ran out of the cup during baking.
I ended up putting two cupcakes in these
plastic cups...a plain cake in the bottom,
whipped topping, and then a
pineapple cake.  I placed a stemmed 
cherry in the pineapple hole.

I'm off to the bake sale!

Let me know if you make any of these,
I'd love to hear your comments.