Now, anyone who knows me has learned that I love to bake and that at least once a month, I’ll have something to give out to those around me. It’s just a fact. Most of the time, I bake for people’s birthdays because they are away from home and can’t have a homemade birthday cake, or maybe even a birthday cake at all. Plus, a cookie or cupcake always makes a person smile which makes me happy.

I have learned that baking in a dorm is not the easiest thing. The kitchen isn’t the best most of the time, and also, you have to carry around the ingredients so it’s not easy to bake anything from scratch.

1. Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes

These are for your friend that loves chocolate and doesn’t mind them being rich. I mean, it’s chocolate upon chocolate filled with Nutella. It might be a bit much for some, but it’s actually really good. All you need is box chocolate cake mix (I use Betty Crocker) and the ingredients needed for it, like eggs and oil, chocolate frosting, and Nutella. Follow the recipe on the box to bake the cupcakes, let them cool, fill with Nutella, and then top with the chocolate frosting. It’s fancier than a normal cupcake, but still easy enough to make.

2. Tie-Dye Cupcakes.

Start with white cake mix and vanilla frosting and food coloring. Mix the batter together and then divide it into multiple bowls. In each bowl of batter, add different food coloring and mix it throughout. Then layer each color in the cupcake liners and bake normally. Let cool, and then top with the frosting. If you want, you can put food coloring in the frosting as well, but it’s up to you.

3. Oreo Cupcakes

These are incredible, and easier to make than you would think. You need white or golden butter cake mix (either will work), vanilla frosting, and a package of Oreos. Mix the batter together and put a scoop of it into each the bottom of each liner and then drop in a whole Oreo and top it with more batter. You bake them normally and let them cool. By baking the Oreo in the cupcake, it becomes soft, like when you dip it in milk.

4. Cookie Dough Cupcakes

These are super similar to the Oreo cupcakes but instead of using an Oreo, you need chocolate chip cookie dough. You follow the same steps as the Oreo cupcake, but drop in a ball of frozen cookie dough in place of the Oreo. They bake normally and the cupcake batter is fully baked and the cookie dough is raw. (Make sure the cookie dough you use doesn’t have any eggs in it, just to make sure it’s safe to eat).

5. Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

So I saved this recipe for last because I was informed that they were the best cupcakes I made all semester long. They were probably the easiest too. All you need is chocolate cake mix, vanilla frosting, and peanut butter. Make the chocolate cupcakes according to the box and let them cool. For the frosting, you mix one cup of vanilla frosting and three-fourths of a cup of peanut butter. Mix it in a bowl with a spoon until it’s all incorporated. If you want, you can add in more peanut butter. The frosting will be thick, but you will still be able to spread it on the cupcakes.

So there are your five easy cupcake recipes for a college dorm. Give them a try and everyone will love them!