I will start this particular post by noting that I am not of those cakers who vehemently abhor box cake mixes. While it is true that I would much rather bake a cake from scratch, I have no problem with a box cake mix.
And I did have a box cake mix sitting in the cabinet, due to expire on December 8. I couldn’t think what to do with it, so I decided I’d bake cupcakes with it, frost six of them and freeze the rest for when I need a quick cupcake fix. Let me tell you that I needed a quick cupcake fix on Saturday, the day I baked these cupcakes. I caught the cold that my daughter, son and and husband had last week and I could barely manage to eat anything; the only thing that sounded good was a cupcake.
So, I quickly mixed and baked two dozen chocolate fudge cupcakes. On top of the six cupcakes I planned to eat, I evenly placed about 10 semisweet chocolate chips the very second I took the cupcakes out of the oven. After a minute or so, the chips were melted and I took a knife to spread them into a thin layer on top of the cupcake.
After the cupcakes were cooled, I froze the leftovers and frosted my six with my favorite peanut butter frosting, which can be found in this post (except I made a little creamier with a little more milk). Then I melted a small palmful of the semisweet chocolate chips, spooned the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag, cut off the corner of the bottom of the bag, leaving a very small opening, and piped a swirly chocolate circle on top of the six cupcakes.
As a note, of course you can make any type of chocolate cupcakes for these, it doesn’t have to be a box cake mix. The melted chocolate chip layer gives a nice sublte crunch to the cupcake, which I liked. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips – I think that they are softer than the average chocolate chip. Another brand might give a harder crunch to these cupcakes.
Oh the peanut butter frosting looks like heaven… I have to try your recipe!!
Clever idea about melting the chips on top. I’ll have to try that next batch of cupcakes! Thanks! :)
Hi Jamieanne :) These cupcakes are very cute and look so good. I love anything peanut butter. Thanks for your comment on my blog. I did not get a chance to do the Iron Cupcake challenge this month, which was disappointing. But, I am going to for sure do it next time. I am surprised someone else on there is from Indianapolis….it’s a small world.
Ms Ashley, the pb frosting recipe isn’t actually my own. I found it on Shazam In The Kitchen, I believe. I have altered the recipe before though by replacing the pb with Nutella! :)
Jamie, it’s sort of like chocolate ganache, but not!
Mdgosnell, I’m glad to see a local cupcake blogger on Iron Cupcake. I can’t wait to see some cupcakes on your blog! :)