Need to provide cupcakes or desser bars - any suggestions.

[Areia]

First, I'm not a super baker and can get stressed when they have to be "perfect."  I was asked to help out at a charity thing and I need to make about 150 cupcakes (regular sized - not mini) so I think that will be about 7 boxes of cake mix and will give me some extras for any mistakes.  Between the mixes, frosting and cupcake liners, I'm thinking it will cost me around $18-20. 

I'm picking cupcakes because it seems easiest to me, but does anyone have any suggestions for dessert bars or something similar that is easy to make, travels well and doesn't have expensive ingredients?  They don't want cakes or pies.  Thanks (also cross posted in Talk amongst ourselves).

[mumkimum]

WOW that's a lot of cupcakes to make!

I've made these pumpkin chocolate chip bars quite a few times, including for bake sales.  They're pleasantly easy to make, in my opinion.  Makes a BIG pan.  There are also boxed pumpkin chocolate chip - and spice cakes work well in bars or cupcake form too.  I've had great banana coffee cakes before that could fit the category (think banana chocolate chip cake bars?).  Kinda like this.       

Do brownies count?  Because brownie mixes tend not to be too bad (I prefer them over boxed cake mix, but that's just me), and you could even jazz it up with crushed candies on top (or mixed in) if you felt like it.

You could consider doing homemade frosting with the boxed-mix cupcakes - it might end up cheaper and you could get such that you'd just dip the cupcakes into it (more like a glaze) over having to frost with the store bought frosting.  I'm thinking something like this quick & easy glaze recipe.     Just make sure your cupcakes are totally cool.  I've always had an awful time trying to get the bought frosting to look good.  (Actually, I'm not sure you were planning on doing a store-bought frosting or not, but just thought I'd mention all that anyway).

[KristyDi]

That's a lot of cupcakes. I'd think bars would be easier. You have to put a wrapper in each place in the muffin pan, fill it with batter then frost each individual cupcake times 150. Plus frosted cup cakes are a PITA to transport without making a mess of the frosting, unless you have some kind of cup cake carrier.

Bars you just mix, put in a pan bake then cool and cut.

Plain old toll house cookie dough can be baked in a pan as bar cookies, just look for he bar cookie instructions (either on the back of the package of chips or online). Adding some M&Ms makes them look festive.

This homemade brownie mix is super easy and yummy and costs so much less than the store bought version, plus it'd be easy to double or triple if you had enough pans and oven space.