Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Today was a good day.

A really good day.

Especially when you start off the day with this:

Is it weird that my photo album is like 49% family photos and 51% chocolate?

Awkward....

Anyways, get over it.

Jk Jk

So this weekend the babester and me were going to a baby shower! And, well, with any party I come bringing cupcakes. I am VERY UNPREDICTABLE.

And you see, these cupcakes are my GO TO chocolate cupcakes. They require ALOT of patience. ALOT of time. ALOT of effort. And there is ONE secret to these cupcakes that really make it damn good.

Lo and behold...

THE BOX CAKE MIX

GAAAAASSSSPPP! How ghetto!

Ok let's be honest. Some of you out there MAY have the perfect "from scratch" chocolate cake recipe that is heavenly moist and perfect, but I have yet to find it/create it. (In the process =]) So for now, I'm gonna use the darn box! 

P.S. Don't get all offended if your a box user. It's NOT ghetto...I'm just trying to be funny. 

Maybe I can win your hearts and your support back if I tell you that it's not your typical back of the box cake mix instructions. It's been "doctored up" to say the least. There are lots of additional add ins to "fool" anyone into thinking it's from scratch.

For starters:

Adding a box of pudding to usually ANY boxed cake mix ups the thickness and makes it plump and perfect.

Then add a few other simple ingredients to really make this cake shine above the others.

Milk, oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and chocolate chips. 

Then you "literally" dump everything into a mixing bowl and beat until combined. Usually takes less than a minute.

The colors for the shower were black, white, and hot pink. 

I found these SuPeR CuTe cupcake wrappers and glitter for decorating.

I love pink.

I also picked up this new frosting tip. 

I now have a total of 673 decorating tips. Too much you say? 

"I want the world. I want the whole world. I want to lock it all up in my pocket. It's my bar of chocolate. Give it to me now!"

Um, moving on.

Then you place your prepared batter into baking cups filled about half way. For these types of cups, they stand perfectly, so you can place them on a baking sheet.

So while the cupcakes were baking a little bit of this happened:

You know how some people like to lick the batter/frosting off the spoon. Well.

Your looking at my "spoon."

She was jealous. 

 

I also used these stacking stands as a cupcake tower and strung hot pink ribbon through the holes around the edges. 

I think I may do this more often. 

Then after everything was complete, I frosted and decorated the cupcakes. 

Isn't the tower cute with the cupcakes?!?

Pink makes everything better.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake recipe from HERE

Cake Ingredients:

1 Box Devils Food Cake Mix

1 3.9 ounce box chocolate pudding

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Veg Oil

1/2 Cup Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

4 Eggs

1 Bag Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions: 

1. Add ingredients into mixing bowl and beat until combined, about less than a minute.

2. Bake in prepared cupcake pans in a pre heated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. (I use convection so my time may differ than others)

3. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 Packages Cream Cheese

1 Stick Butter

4-5 Cups Powdered sugar

2-3 TB milk

1 TB Vanilla

Directions:

1. Make sure butter and cream cheese are softened.

2. Beat butter and cream cheese together, until fluffy.

3. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, and beat until creamy.

Life doesn't get much better than this =]