Doctored Up Chocolate Cake Mix
I have a chocolate cake recipe that I love. Ā It’s my go-to for any chocolate cake, whether it’s a sheet cake, layers for a birthday or cupcakes, I’ve always used the same one. Ā And it’s awesome. Ā But the other day I had a box cake mix on hand and my kiddos and I wanted cupcakes, so I figured I’d use that since I had it. Ā I did a little searching to find a recipe worth trying that might spice it up a little and this is the one I settled on.
It’s so good, friends. Ā I baked them the night before I frosted them, and we sampled them sans frosting. Ā This cake is so good. Ā It’s dense, but not in a heavy, weigh you down kind of way. Ā They’re somehow light and moist and packed with chocolate flavor, thanks to the little bit of coffee. Ā I think I even liked them best all on their own, but what isn’t made better topped with this vanilla frosting?
Now I have two chocolate cake recipes that I love. Ā Ah, the little blessings in life.
Doctored Up Chocolate Cake Mix
recipe from My Baking Addiction
- Details
- Prep Time: 15 minutes.
- Cook Time: 18 minutes.
- Ready in 33 Minutes.
- Makes: 2 Dozen
- Ingredients
- 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
- 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso granules dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water, can sub 1/2 cup coffee or 1/2 cup warm water
- Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla and espresso water mixture. Beat for two minutes on medium speed until well combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 10 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare the best frosting ever (see recipe below).
- For 2 9-inch cake layers: Pour batter evenly between 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Best Frosting Ever
recipe from Tasty Kitchen
- Details
- Ready in 0 Minute.
- Makes: 2 Cups
- Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup butter (cannot sub margarine here, it will NOT work)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar!)
- Directions
- In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I am in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.
- While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You donāt want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you havenāt beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.
- Spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.