Can't you just take any cake recipe and make cupcakes out of it?

Sounds logical. I don't see why not, just adjust baking time. I was just thinking today of making a blueberry pound cake into cupcakes so it's easier servings for the kiddos.

not dumb at all! my answer would be yes. only thing to keep in mind is bake time. I would say 15-18 minutes for cupcakes at 350. I would be interested in knowing why if the answer is no from anybody.

Some of my scratch recipes tend to pull away from the cupcake papers....

In most cases yes - but I do have 2 or 3 scratch recipes that do not turn out well as cupcakes just due to their natures - Fabulous cakes though.

ive run across lots of cake recipes that dont work well as cupcakes. they shrink, and pull away from the papers. usually, if you're using a heavier cake like pound cake, it'll work fine. it's the lighter sponge cakes that seem to be the problem.

Same experience as cake-angel.

I use Pillsbury Plus and it has been perfect every time. No pull aways and no shrinking.

I would go with a yes but I notice that some recipes tend to dome/rise more than others

most are a yes, however many scratch recipes do not turn out well as cupcakes, usually adjusting some of the ingredients helps. I actually just have a couple of basic recipes i use then add fruits, flavorings etc to them to make different flavors and then almost all my cupcakes have fillings. when i found my few recipes that make excellent cupcakes i just have stuck with them and even adding extra ingredients hasnt affected the final products quality.

sometime the cake batter is too runny to make into cupcakes.....i have one recipe that makes a really runny batter for a cake (which is yummy) but it just doesn't wok for cupcakes......but most recipes will work fine

I know that the Hershey's Chocolate Collector's Cocoa Cake in the recipes section is great as a cake, but it makes pretty dry cupcakes. Some recipes need to be adjusted. It's usually trial and error though...

I find the Hershey's extremely moist. I have other chocolate recipes, but this is in the pile of good ones.

scp, I know that the Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe is extremely moist, but I've used the Collector's recipe a few times and it made dry cupcakes until I tweaked it. I think there's also a comment on the recipe post from someone else stating that they liked it for cake but not cupcakes. Hmm. Might have to look at it again.

Instant, I didn't read carefully enough. I was referring to the Perfect one. So many people attempt scratch cakes and overbake them. That's why I threw it out there. I then suggest some subs and to check the temp. I'm not familiar with the one that you mentioned. I'll look that up. How does it compare to the Perfect Chocolate cake? I have started using a recipe that uses Guittard DP Cocoa Powder. But I still like that Hershey's cake.

In my opinion the Perfect and the Collector's are completely different. Moisture, texture, crumb...I bet the Collector might be the "carvable" version or the firmer version. One uses butter and the other oil. Regular water to boiling.

Which is better? Or is the carving ability the difference? I don't carve cakes, but if it tastes better, it may be worth trying.

this is a great site with a huge amount of cupcake recipes
http://www.cupcakerecipes.com/

They're both pretty good, but I have received better reviews of the Perfect one over the Collector's.

Thanks Instant. I use that recipe in cakes and cupcakes where I don't want the chocolate cake to be front and center. If I use a bold cake, frosting, and filling, I am not as happy with the results. I love the way it blends with other flavors.