Yellow Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

Happy Monday!

I know something that can make Monday even better. Yellow Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream. It's no secret that I love Mel's recipes at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and you can add this chocolate frosting to the list, because it's definitely a keeper.

I didn't used to go for yellow cake with chocolate frosting. In my mind, chocolate frosting belonged on chocolate cake, but I have a certain 23-year-old daughter who loves yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and requests them every year on her birthday. So they've grown on me.

This cupcake recipe is easy because you start with a box of yellow cake mix, but instead of water, oil and eggs, you add softened butter, buttermilk and eggs. Makes a world of difference in the finished product, and almost as good as from-scratch when you don't have the time.

The Whipped Chocolate Buttercream was posted last week by Mel, and deserved a quick turnaround in my estimation. I had to make something good for a bake sale for our Young Women Camp fundraiser, so I put Mel's recipe to the test right away. I only had one problem with it, and that is that my melted semi-sweet chocolate chips were not "drizzling" consistency. Mel says to drizzle it into the whipped butter and powdered sugar. I first added 2 teaspoons of butter to the melted chocolate chips to loosen it up a little. It still wasn't drizzling consistency, so I just took a spoon and dropped big dollops of melted chocolate into the buttercream and then whipped it all for 3-4 minutes per Mel's instructions. As you can see in the pic above, I don't think it made any difference. The frosting was fluffy and light with delicious chocolate flavor. So if you melt your chocolate chips and it's too thick to drizzle, don't sweat it.

Easy Yellow Cupcakes

• 1 package yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Butter Yellow)
• 1 stick of butter, very soft
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs

Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer until combined, then turn to medium speed and whip for 3 minutes. The batter will be very thick and rich. Spoon into muffin tins lined with paper liners, filling about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly with a finger. Cool 5 minutes in pans, then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 24-28 cupcakes, depending on size. 


Whipped Chocolate Buttercream
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

• 2 sticks of butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup good-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temp (I used the Kirkland Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips from Costco) 

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until well-combined and the frosting is creamy, 3-4 minutes. Blend in the vanilla. Drizzle or spoon melted chocolate chips over the butter mixture and blend to combine. Turn mixer to medium speed and whip for 3-4 minutes or until light and creamy. Frost your favorite layer cake, cupcakes, brownies, etc.