Neapolitan Cupcakes

Making the Cupcake:

Ingredients:

• 1 package white cake mix
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 oz. chocolate, melted
• 1/4 cup strawberry preserves
• red food coloring

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Make cake mix according to directions on back of box. Divide cake mix evenly between three bowls. Add vanilla to first bowl. Stir in cocoa powder and melted chocolate to second. Add strawberry preserves and red food coloring (make it pink) to the third. 
2. Put cupcake liners into muffin tins. Spoon 1 Tsp. of each cake mix, going in the order: strawberry, chocolate, vanilla. (Cups should be about 1/2 to 2/3 full). 
3. Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Empty cupcakes out of tins to cool quickly. 

Making the Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream (let standing at room temp. for 10 minutes)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Let cream cheese and butter stand at room temp. for a half hour. 
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Then, beat in ice cream. 
4. Tint half of the frosting pink, and leave the rest white.

After the Frosting is Made:

1. Use a star tip to frost cupcakes. In a piping bag, spoon pink and white frosting side by side. Pipe frosting over cupcakes.

Tips From Kate and Hayley:

• Chill frosting and don't frost them until a little bit before you'll eat them. (The ice cream in the frosting will start to melt)
• We thought these cupcakes need a little bit more flavoring! Try adding more preserves or chocolate (we'd love to hear your input)! 
• Also, we used melted Dove chocolate for a better flavor than your standard chocolate chips! 
• These cupcakes have a very cute look and we hope you enjoy:)