It's not often that I end up with a completely free Sunday. It was great to sleep in, get some errands run, go to the gym, and then its still only 2pm. I chose to use the extra time to bake and come up with a new cupcake. I'm admittedly a chocoholic and cream cheese is one of my favorite ingredients...so why not add cream cheese to cupcake batter? To boost the chocolate factor, I added chocolate pudding mix. These cupcakes turned out well, but the frosting is the real winner from this experiment. I just may have to start flavoring frostings with pudding mix from now on.
Note: To make these gluten free, use gluten free cake mix. My favorite brands are with King Arthur or Betty Crocker.
Ingredients:
Cupcake:
1 (15 ounce) box chocolate cake mix
1/2 (3.4 ounce) box chocolate pudding mix
1 cup milk
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 (4 ounces) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 (4 ounces) brick cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 (3.4 ounce) box chocolate pudding mix
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Preparation:
1. Cream together butter and cream cheese.
2. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Sift together cake mix and pudding mix. Gradually add to wet ingredients.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with muffin cups. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-24 minutes.
5. While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.
6. Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla.
7. Sift together pudding mix and cocoa powder. Add to cream cheese mixture and mix until well incorporated.
8. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Adjust the frosting consistency with additional powdered sugar or a touch of milk. Mine needed about a tablespoon of milk and an additional 1/6 cup of powdered sugar.
9. Frost cooled cupcakes.
Note: To make these gluten free, use gluten free cake mix. My favorite brands are with King Arthur or Betty Crocker.
Ingredients:
Cupcake:
1 (15 ounce) box chocolate cake mix
1/2 (3.4 ounce) box chocolate pudding mix
1 cup milk
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 (4 ounces) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 (4 ounces) brick cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 (3.4 ounce) box chocolate pudding mix
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Preparation:
1. Cream together butter and cream cheese.
2. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Sift together cake mix and pudding mix. Gradually add to wet ingredients.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with muffin cups. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-24 minutes.
5. While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.
6. Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla.
7. Sift together pudding mix and cocoa powder. Add to cream cheese mixture and mix until well incorporated.
8. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Adjust the frosting consistency with additional powdered sugar or a touch of milk. Mine needed about a tablespoon of milk and an additional 1/6 cup of powdered sugar.
9. Frost cooled cupcakes.