BEST Chocolate Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting EVER

BEST Chocolate Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting EVER – hands down the BEST cupcakes EVER! Doctor up cake mix and top it with the most delicious buttercream frosting EVER! Everyone in our family requests these cupcakes for their birthday! SO good! #cake #dessert #cupcakes #buttercream

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Yesterday was Chicken Leg’s birthday.  Chicken Leg’s favorite cake is chocolate with white icing.  When he was little, his Mom would have to make two cakes.  One for him and one for the rest of his family because he wouldn’t share HIS cake.  Nowadays, he only gets one cake for his birthday celebration. I am honored that he shares his cake with me (I think it is really because I won’t indulge him and make extra cakes).  

BEST Chocolate Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting EVER - hands down the BEST cupcakes EVER! Doctor up cake mix and top it with the most delicious buttercream frosting EVER! Everyone in our family requests these cupcakes for their birthday! SO good! #cake #dessert #cupcakes #buttercream

This year Chicken Legs requested cupcakes instead of a cake. I was really excited because it gave me a chance to use my new piping tip (#827).  I’ve had this chocolate cake recipe bookmarked for a while and I was glad to finally give it a try.  We loved it!  It really is the BEST! It is honestly better than any bakery cake. Don’t substitute low-fat or sugar-free stuff – this is an indulgence.  Live a little!

BEST Chocolate Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting EVER - hands down the BEST cupcakes EVER! Doctor up cake mix and top it with the most delicious buttercream frosting EVER! Everyone in our family requests these cupcakes for their birthday! SO good! #cake #dessert #cupcakes #buttercream

I adapted the buttercream from Billy’s Bakery in NYC.  It was great!  I think it was just as good as Olexa’s here in Mountain Brook (if you knew how good that was, you would already have this icing going in your mixer – seriously!).

BEST Chocolate Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting EVER - hands down the BEST cupcakes EVER! Doctor up cake mix and top it with the most delicious buttercream frosting EVER! Everyone in our family requests these cupcakes for their birthday! SO good! #cake #dessert #cupcakes #buttercream

I’ve made this cake in all sized cake pans and it turns out great every single time. This is our go-to recipe for all of our family’s birthday celebrations. Give this a try the next time you need cake or cupcakes. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

cupcakes

BEST Chocolate Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting EVER

Yield: 1 cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
BEST Chocolate Cupcakes & Buttercream Frosting EVER – hands down the BEST cupcakes EVER! Doctor up cake mix and top it with the most delicious buttercream frosting EVER! Everyone in our family requests these cupcakes for their birthday! SO good! #cake #dessert #cupcakes #buttercream

Ingredients:

The BEST Chocolate Cake

  • 1 box devil’s food cake mix
  • 1 (3.9-oz) package Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 cup sour cream, not low fat
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Seriously, the BEST Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 6 cups powdered sugar, may need a little more
  • ½ cup whipping cream
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

The BEST Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • In a very large bowl, mix together all ingredients. The batter will be thick. Pour batter into cake pan of choice.
  • For cooking time, use the cooking times on the back of the devil’s food cake box as a guide. Do the toothpick check after the suggested cooking time; if it’s not done check on it every 5 mins after that.
  • Cool and frost with buttercream (recipe below).

Seriously, the BEST Vanilla Buttercream

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy.
  • If necessary, gradually add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.

Notes:

I like to make the cake the day before serving. I  refrigerate the cake after making it and serve it at room temperature.
Store cake in an air-tight container. 
Can store cake in the refrigerator or on the counter. 

Steph

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Comments

  1. Is there a way to make this a chocolate buttercream frosting? I need a chocolate buttercream for a yellow cake.

  2. Excellent cupcakes. I used a dark chocolate cake mix and Hershey’s Special Dark pudding. It was the bomb!!!

  3. Is the whipping cream the kind you buy in the freezer section or is it heavy whipping cream found by the milk?
    Thanks,
    Amy

  4. PJ Funnybunny – I would think the frosting would be fine for at least 2 days in the fridge. Let it thaw out a bit before piping it on the cupcakes or frosting the cake. It will go on much easier if it isn't super firm/cold. Hope you enjoy it. I made a batch of it the other day and it was delicious!

  5. Any idea how long this frosting will stay in a refrigerator? I want to prepare in advance and frost a few days later…
    Thanks!

  6. Hi Steph. Thanks for the recipe. Can't wait to make them! Just wondering how many cupcakes the recipe makes. Thanks again!

  7. You had me at Olexa's!! Their cake and frosting is the best I've ever had! Can't wait to try this! 🙂

  8. I'm making these now for my mother's 65th birthday (I don't care how old you are, cupcakes are the best!)… but I am wondering if anyone has tried this recipe with vanilla mix and vanilla pudding? I may try in the future!

  9. I'm not much of a cake fan but I made these cupcakes for a friend and I've already eaten three of them. These are amazing! Thank you for sharing the recipe, this will be my go-to recipe from now one.

  10. I found your blog on Saturday while looking for a Ranch Chicken recipe (which I tried–it was pretty good!). Anyway, I saw this cake and frosting recipe, and decided to make it for Memorial Day. What a fabulous cake! It looked so beautiful coming out of the oven. It was SO moist, I can see how it would make awesome cupcakes. About the frosting, my husband said, "Wow. It melts in your mouth!" It was rich, but so, so, good!

    Thanks!
    Roni

  11. I chuckled when I read about having the frosting already in the mixer. 🙂

    Happy Birthday Chicken Leeeegs!
    ~ingrid

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