Homemade Cupcakes?

I make these cupcakes...and I call them homemade. And every time someone eats them they groan with delight and ask for the recipe.  And I'm honest with them and tell them that I use a cake mix.  But it's a darn good cake mix...premium (it says so on the label).  But the real trick is not just in the cake mix, it's in the homemade icing.  Delicious buttery chocolatey finger licky frosting that takes all of about five minutes to whip up...because that's the kind of homemade I like to do.

And yesterday after lunch my little guy and I were in the mood for something sweet. Yellow cupcakes with homemade chocolate frosting made his eyes twinkle so we decided to make them right then and there.  I dumped one full pan of them upside down into the oven when I burned my finger trying to take them out....a tragic loss.  But, we did get a dozen and I felt like sharing them with you.  And since you can't taste them through this screen, I'll tell you how to make them too.

First, you must buy the absolute best yellow cake mix on the market. 

The best, in my opinion, is

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden

It says right on the box that it's Amrica's favorite...and there is good reason for that.  Everytime I use it someone comments on what good cake it is.

Prepare your cake mix as directed, spoon into cupcake liners.  Use two in each muffin cup and the outer liner will be pretty when your done.

 

Bake your cupcakes.  They will come out plain. boring even, but you'll still want to eat one...hold out.

 

While they are cooling prepare the frosting.  Here's what you need:

 

 and here's the recipe:

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1/3 Cup butter (softened)

1/3 Cup cocoa

2 Cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbl. Milk

Make sure that butter is softened first and then beat all the ingredients together with your mixer until it is creamy and smooth.

 

Then get out your pastry bag.  If you don't have one of these you can just pick one up anywhere that sells Wilton products.  I use this all the time and it's well worth the few dollars. You will also need a tip with a wide opening.  I used a number 199 tip.  You can see the basic shape and anything with a wide round mouth and a similar look should work.

 

Fill your pastry bag with frosting.

 

Roll up the end and grab your cupcake.

You are going to make one long continuous swirl starting on the outside of the cupcake top.

 

Go all the way around the outside and then do a circle inside that, and then inside that, until you have a swirly little mountain of pretty icing and then finish it off with a little spike on top. (if you've never used a pastry bag before it might take a little practice, but not much)

And there you have it.  Homemade (kind of) and completely irresistable.  Look at this thing. 

You want to take a bite right now don't you?  Here, I'll do it for you.

 

Wish I could sit down at the table with all of you and give you a glass of milk and one of these right now. But I feel better knowing that all you need is a good cake mix and five minutes to make homemade chocolate buttercream frosting and you'll have your own. And you will be happy.  Because cupcakes make people happy. Yum.