In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, beer takes the kitchen spotlight each March. Even if you’re not much of a beer drinker, this sudsy ingredient adds a wonderful depth of flavor without overpowering a recipe. I love the idea of adding a splash to Corned Beef or Irish Stew, but this year my mind was set on cupcakes.

I enjoy a light lager on game day or a crisp IPA with my Friday night pizza, but, to me, stout is the ultimate treat. I’ve never been to Ireland, and I am no connoisseur when it comes to how to pour the perfect pint, but I can appreciate its deliciousness all the same. With its smooth chocolate and coffee notes, stout will be your next secret weapon in baking.

Dave Lieberman’s Chocolate Stout Cupcakes are the perfect treats to please a party crowd. The taste of stout beer is subtle but becomes delectably more noticeable with each bite. Even if you can’t distinguish the actual beer flavor, it enhances the chocolate and makes for a rich, not-too-sweet cupcake. Top it off with velvety cream cheese icing and you’ve found your pot of gold.

A few things to consider before making this recipe

There is something so appealing about a hi-hat cupcake. It brings me back to childhood summers when we would sit outside the ice cream shop and desperately try to lick up the ice cream as it melted down our arms. Cherry-dip was always my favorite, but I was always outnumbered by the chocolate lovers.

With Mardi Gras around the corner, I thought I’d bake up something the whole family can enjoy. New Orleans is known for many institutional cocktails, but these sweets will allow the little ones to participate in the fun too. You can’t go wrong with a delectable yellow cupcake covered in sweet clouds of frosting and gently dipped in chocolate. That first bite is transcendent, the second so satisfying.

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Start your holiday season right with perfectly decorated cupcakes. Wilton’s cupcake decorations will spruce up your fall and holiday cupcakes with color and pizzazz. From autumn leaf sprinkles to holiday poinsettia baking cups, Wilton has everything for you to make your most-impressive cupcakes ever.

You can buy your own cupcake decorations here, or enter in the comment field below for a chance to win some of your own. To enter: Tell us your favorite Food Network cupcake recipe in the comments (must include recipe URL or cupcake name from the app). We’re giving away a decorating kit, two different kinds of autumn-themed sprinkles and three sets of Christmas-themed wrappers to six lucky, randomly selected commenters.

Read official rules before entering

Unlike most home bakers I know, I’m not yet married to a frosting method of choice. My Grandma Mimi (who did not believe in cupcakes and would instead make sheet cakes for the grandchildren) would dump entire bowls of vanilla buttercream on top of her chocolate cakes and swirl the magical mixture into place with her offset spatula. My mother would simply flip the cupcakes one-by-one upside down and dunk into a bowl of icing. I hadn’t given it much thought until I met The SpoonSpreader.

Though I hadn’t really used a pastry bag before, I assumed I’d prefer that mode of frosting application over what seemed like a slightly unhinged-spoon spatula amalgam (pun intended). The results I found were both surprising and delightful. The SpoonSpreader works with a little practice, as both a frosting scoop (when it’s folded) and as a frosting spreader and applicator (when flattened again).

See it in action

Skip store-bought candy and satisfy your cravings with tasty cupcakes that are modeled after candy bars like this week’s Most Popular Pin of the Week: Food Network Magazine‘s Peanut Cupcakes With Nougat-Chocolate Frosting. Whip up this roasted peanut cupcake that combines crunchy nuts with a marshmallow and peanut butter topping.

For more cupcake recipes that are sure to impress, visit Food Network’s Let’s Bake: Cupcakes board on Pinterest.

Get the recipe: Peanut Cupcakes With Nougat-Chocolate Frosting

Easter brunch is one of my favorite meals of the year. Yes, Thanksgiving and Christmas are great. And my birthday is high up on the list, too. But Easter has always been special for me.

When I was growing up in Tucson, Ariz., my family and I would head up to the club for brunch, participate in some extreme Easter egg hunting (I’d always win) and then I would basically stuff my face. Homemade omelets, pounds of roasted potatoes and smoked salmon galore. You name it and I probably ate it. But let’s be honest here — the best part of brunch really has to be the desserts. There are a few in particular that stand out, but in my opinion a truly phenomenal carrot cake tops then all.

I know making a fresh carrot cake can be a little time-consuming because you actually have to grate carrots. Gasp! I know, I know. It’s tough. But trust me, it’s worth the extra prep time.

Get the recipe for Coconut Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Food Network’s own Candace Nelson from Cupcake Wars, who started the cupcake craze with Sprinkles Cupcakes, has done it again. The L.A.-based shop recently announced its newest innovation: a 24-Hour-Sprinkles ATM, as well as plans for a Sprinkles Ice Cream.

Check out the full-story on Devour now.

- Get to know Candace Nelson, a judge on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.
- Cupcake recipes

I can’t help it. As much as I want to deny it, Super Bowl Sunday for me is, well, not about football. Its about the food. It’s quite possibly one of my favorite get-togethers because people focus on two things:

1. Food that is easy to eat

2. Food that is delicious

No one is counting calories or worried if someone eats with their hands, it’s just all-out food fun.

I made these cupcakes with that in mind. They’re easy to make, so if you’re still looking for a last-minute dessert that you can make for your party, this one is a crowd-pleaser. I wanted to personalize them for the big day, but still make something that people can stuff in their mouth on a moment’s notice if the referee makes a horrendous call.

Find out what you’ll need to make these cupcakes »

Move over chocolate, today is all about vanilla — vanilla cupcakes to be more specific. National Vanilla Cupcake Day may just be another food holiday, but we’ll take any excuse to start the day off with a vanilla cupcake smothered in frosting.

Sure, you could visit your neighborhood bakery to celebrate this sweet treat, but take the extra minute to get out the mixing bowls at home and try Giada’s five-star Vanilla Cupcake recipe.

Looking to keep the kids busy for the afternoon? Try making Food Network Kitchens Vanilla Cupcakes With Bunny Faces (pictured above).

Your family will be smiling from ear-to-ear when you top buttermilk and chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cream and a milk chocolate glaze.

Make it a complete meal by serving these little treats with Smoked Pork Chops With Corn from Food Network Magazine.

Get the recipe: Mini Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Browse more of Food Network’s kid-friendly recipes.