I don't know, maybe it's just me but I can't make a decent cupcake to save my life. They always seem just so ----- boring.

Should I be using a different recipe from cakes for cupcakes? I get no dome, domes that bust over the side of the cupcake -- they are all just ugly.

Is there hope for my cupcake handicap? I sure would like to boost my confidence level for making them.

1.Find a recipe (cake or cupcake) that you like the flavor and texture of. I like "A Bakers Field Guide to Cupcakes, by Dede Wilson...another of my go-tos is Cupcakes! from the Cake Doctor, by Anne Byrne) both are written with the home baker in mind.
2. Make it over and over until you know how long to mix the different stages (mixing too long will make the product either tough or so full of air that you have overflow problems in the oven)
3. Figure out how full to fill the cups (this will help with the overflow problem). When I test a new recipe I only fill 1/2 the way. This gives me a starting point for the "how full to fill" question.
Now get crackin'!