cup b.u.t.ter, room temperature (one stick, pound)

1 and cups white sugar (not a misprint you"ll use 1 and

cups sugar in all)

3 eggs

cup milk

Line a 12-cup m.u.f.fin pan with double cupcake papers. Since this recipe makes 18 cupcakes, you can use an additional 6-cup m.u.f.fin pan lined with double papers, or you can b.u.t.ter and flour an 8-inch square cake pan or the equivalent.

Microwave the chocolate, raspberry syrup and cup sugar in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave again for another minute. At this point, the chocolate will be almost melted, but it will maintain its shape. Stir the mixture until smooth and let cool to lukewarm. (You can also do this in a double boiler on the stove.) Measure the flour, mix in the baking powder and salt, and set it aside. With an electric mixer (or with a VERY strong arm), beat the b.u.t.ter and 1 and cups sugar until light and fluffy. (About 3 minutes with a mixer an additional 2 minutes if you"re doing it by hand.) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to make sure they"re thoroughly incorporated. Add approximately a third of the flour mixture and a third of the milk. (You don"t have to be exact adding the flour and milk in increments makes the batter smoother.) When that"s all mixed in, add another third of the flour and another third of the milk. And when that"s incorporated, add the remainder of the flour and the remainder of the milk. Mix thoroughly.

Test your chocolate mixture to make sure it"s cool enough to add. (You don"t want to cook the eggs!) If it"s fairly warm to the touch but not so hot you have to pull your hand away, you can add it at this point. Stir thoroughly and you"re done.

Let the batter rest for five minutes. Then stir it again by hand, and fill each cupcake paper three-quarters full. If you decided to use the 8-inch cake pan instead of the 6-cup m.u.f.fin tin, fill it with the remaining batter.

Bake the cupcakes in a 350 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The 8-inch cake should bake an additional 5 minutes.

FUDGE FROSTING:.

2 cups semi-sweet (regular) chocolate chips (a 12-ounce

package)

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

18 cupcakes, or 12 cupcakes and 1 small cake, cooled to room temperature and ready to frost.

If you use a double boiler for this frosting, it"s foolproof. You can also make it in a heavy saucepan over low to medium heat on the stovetop, but you"ll have to stir it constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula to keep it from scorching.

Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with water. Make sure the water doesn"t touch the underside of the top.

Put the chocolate chips in the top of the double boiler, set it over the bottom, and place the double boiler on the stovetop at medium heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate chips are melted.

Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk and cook approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the frosting is shiny and of spreading consistency.

Spread it on the cupcakes, making sure to fill in the indentation on top of the cupcake with frosting.

Give the frosting pan to your favorite person to sc.r.a.pe.

These cupcakes are even better if you cool them, cover them, and let them sit for several hours (or even overnight) before frosting them.

Hannah"s Note: If you want to make these in mini-cupcake tins, fill the cups full and bake them at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

HANNAH"S SPECIAL CARROT CAKE Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

2 cups white (granulated) sugar

3 eggs

cup vegetable oil (not canola, or olive, or anything but

veggie oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

cup sour cream (or unflavored yogurt)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon (or teaspoon cardamom and the

rest cinnamon)

1 and teaspoons salt

1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, juice and all22

2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans)

2 and cups flour (don"t sift pack it down when you measure)

2 cups grated carrots (also pack them down when you measure)

Grease (or spray with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray) a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan and set it aside.

Hannah"s 1st Note: This is a lot easier with an electric mixer, but you can also make it by hand.

Beat the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Mix in the sour cream (or yogurt.) Add the baking soda, cinnamon (and cardamom if you used it) and salt. Mix them in thoroughly.

Add the can of crushed pineapple (including the liquid) and the chopped nuts to your bowl. Mix them in thoroughly.

Add the flour by half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.

Grate the carrots. (This is very easy with a food processor, but you can also do it with a hand grater.) Measure out 2 cups of grated carrots. Pack them down in the cup when you measure them.

Mix in the carrots BY HAND. Grated carrots tend to get caught on the beaters of electric mixers.

Spread the batter in your prepared cake pan, and bake it at 350 degrees F. for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester (I use a food pick that"s a little longer than a toothpick) inserted one inch from the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the cake pan on a wire rack. When it"s completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting while it"s still in the pan.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING.

cup softened b.u.t.ter

8-ounce package softened cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract