These moist chocolate cake eggs harbor a delicious secret: caramel candy.

Cake
2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur  Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons (3/8 ounce) Instant  ClearJel® or cornstarch
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch- process cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

Filling
scant 1 cup (9 ounces) caramel from a block; or 3 dozen
unwrapped caramel candies

Topping
3/4 cup (7 1/2 ounces) caramel from a block, or unwrpped candies*
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half*

Substitute 3/4 cup Touch of Gold Caramel Sauce, if desired.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the wells of an egg pan. Or line a muffin pan with papers, and grease the papers.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually add the water, beating until smooth. Pour the batter into each cup of the prepared pan, bringing it to wihin 5/8" of the rim of the pan.

While the cakes are baking, prepare the caramel. If you’re using block caramel, scoop 1" balls (a teaspoon cookie scoop works well here), and roll them smooth between your palms. Place them in the freezer.

Bake the cakes for 14 minutes. Place one ball of caramel (or 2 unwrapped caramel candies) atop each egg or muffin; it’ll sink in. Continue baking for an additional 12 minutes, till cake is set and springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven, and alow to cool for 10 minutes. Loosen cakes, and gently slip them out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter and caramel.

When all the cakes are baked and cooled, combine the 3/4 cup caramel and cream, and heat in the microwave till very hot. Remove, and stir till smooth. Drizzle over the cakes, reheating as necessary.
Yield: 18 cakes.