White Wedding Cake Cupcakes + Chocolate Buttercream Frosting = Drool

Yesterday, I made these White Wedding Cake Cupcakes...

With this Chocolate Buttercream Icing...

Simply because I could. And they were delicious. I LOVE white cake with chocolate frosting. They go together perfectly.
And the recipe for the cupcakes is super easy! It starts out with a regular white box cake mix, but spruces it up to a heavenly, wedding-worthy cake.

The icing recipe came from Wilton's, so you already know it's amazing. But seriously... Holy. Nut. It's so chocolatey and smooth and... Just perfect. The way frosting should be. I didn't take pictures because my phone is the only camera I have, and I needed the games on my phone to keep the girls busy while I made (and hid) these.

But I'll post the recipes here for you, just so you don't have to go all over.

I wish I had more friends that were getting married. I love wedding cake way too much...

White Wedding Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approximately 36).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

3. Fill about 3/4 full-between 1/4 and 1/3 of a cup. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream from Wilton's
Ingredients:
1/2 C solid vegetable shortening
1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C cocoa OR 3-1oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 C confectioners sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
3-4 T milk

Directions:
1. Cream shortening and butter together.
2. Add vanilla and cocoa. Mix well.
3. Beat in sugar, 1 cup at a time. Once sugar is completely incorporated, add milk and beat until light and fluffy.
Keep in an air-tight container, refrigerated until ready to use. Rewhip before using.

Try to leave some in the bowl for the cupcakes. But feel free to lick the beaters. {:

Delicious Accidental Brilliance

I hope you're not on a diet. Even if you are, don't worry. I used "lite" sour cream. {:
I may have discovered something amazing here. Last night I decided to make cupcakes because my biological mother, her boyfriend, my little sister, and her friend came up for dinner today. (Yes, my family is large and extended. Someday, I will draw a diagram.) So, I looked at Whipperberry's Amazing Chocolate Cake recipe, and this recipe for Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes, and subconsciously mixed them up. I had both recipes swimming around in my head, and ended up using ingredients from both. I should have written it down, but they still turned out great and it isn't too far from the originals. This is what I ended up with:

• 1 box *chocolate cake mix (any chocolate will do) + ingredients called for to make this (oil, water, eggs, etc.)
• 4 oz chocolate pudding mix (not cook and serve)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 bottle Hershey's Caramel Sauce
• 1 8oz tub Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350 degF. Put cake mix, ingredients called for on box, pudding mix, egg, and sour cream in a large bowl and mix well, 2-3 minutes.

Pour just under 1/4 C for each cupcake into cupcake pan. (Use papers! They save time and messes and they come in cute patterns.) Bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Using a cookie cutter or a sharp knife, cut 1 inch circles in the tops of each cupcake. Remove circles and pour in two or three teaspoons of caramel syrup. Replace tops. If you aren't going to eat them right away, keep in fridge until ready to serve. The longer they sit, the more gooey the cupcakes get.

Top cupcakes with a dollop of Cool Whip just before serving and enjoy!
(Store leftovers in tightly sealed container in fridge.)

*You can replace the:

• chocolate cake mix with a white or yellow.
• chocolate pudding mix with vanilla.
• caramel syrup with strawberry or chocolate, or even sweetened condensed milk. 

Very versatile by switching around a few ingredients.
I've had three of these today. And there are some left in my fridge that are calling my name. Darnit...
{: