Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

I made chocolate cupcakes with this Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting for Halloween last week.  I brought them for a coworker's retirement party and they turned out great.  My friend gave me all the Halloween decor for the cupcakes so it was perfect.  I would definitely be using this Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe for future cupcakes because it is so easy.  I love a recipe with only a few ingredients.  Sorry I am also behind on posting recipes but I got obsessed with watching Breaking Bad and I have finally finished all 5 seasons!  The show is so addicting and I couldn't stop because it is that good.  So go watch Breaking Bad if you haven't already and try this frosting, enjoy! 

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup unsalted butter or 4 tablespoons, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

½ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.

Slowly add in powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Add in vanilla.

Makes enough for 24 cupcakes.

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Icing

These Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Icing are delicious.   I mostly followed Martha Stewart's recipe (click here for original recipe link), you can't go wrong with Martha right?  I shared these at a belated birthday brunch for dessert and I watched my friend's 2 year old gobble up an entire cupcake!  The "cupcakes" are also great without icing too, they are like banana muffins.  But I was told the icing is one of the best parts haha.  Enjoy!

Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Icing

Printable Recipe

Ingredients for Cupcakes

1 ½ cup flour

1 teaspooon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)

1 ½ cups mashed bananas (about 3 to 4 ripe bananas)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Ingredients for Honey Cinnamon Icing

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 to 2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a bowl, mix sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add in bananas, eggs and vanilla.

Slowly add in dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Divide batter evenly in lined muffin pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cupcake comes out clean.

Remove cupcakes from pan and cool on wire rack.  

While cupcakes are cooling, you can make the honey cinnamon icing.

In a stand mixer, beat powdered sugar, unsalted butter, honey, and cinnamon until smooth.

Spread (or pipe) honey cinnamon icing on cooled cupcakes.

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Makes 12 to 15 cupcakes.

Easy Double Chocolate Cupcakes

It was my coworker's 50th birthday and my team went all out for it!  I made him these easy double chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate cream cheese frosting.  I doctored up a chocolate cake mix to save time and made the frosting.  I also used neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese to be a little more healthy - but feel free to use regular cream cheese.  Overall, these cupcakes were a huge hit with my coworkers and friends.  The chocolate cupcakes were light and moist and the frosting was chocolatey without being overly sweet.  Enjoy! 

Easy Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients for Cake

1 package chocolate cake mix (I used devils’ food.)

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup coffee

Ingredients for Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

½ cup cocoa powder

Directions for Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 muffins tins with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, oil, vanilla and coffee together.   Whisk in cake mix and pudding mix until combined.

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Distribute batter evenly into lined muffin tins.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool for about 5 minutes in muffin tins and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Directions for Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter.  Slowly add in powdered sugar.  Mix in cocoa powder.

I used a frosting bag with a piping tip to frost the cupcakes. 

Store frosted cupcakes in refrigerator if not serving immediately. 

Serves 24 cupcakes.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

I cheated making these cupcakes and they are somewhat healthy, minus the chocolate sauce of course.  The chocolate cupcakes were easy to make with just 1 box of devils food chocolate cake mix, plain greek yogurt and water.  Can you believe that is it?  No eggs and no oil were needed at all.  The cupcakes were moist and light, similar to my pumpkin spice cupcakes (made with 1 box of spice cake mix and 1 can pumpkin puree).  I also topped these chocolate cupcakes with my homemade chocolate sauce, which is really easy to make and stores well in the fridge.  I brought these double chocolate cupcakes to my aunt and uncle's holiday party and they were a hit! 

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 box devils food chocolate cake mix

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 cup water

2 cups homemade chocolate sauce (click here for recipe)

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mini-chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the box of cake mix, yogurt and water.

Fill cupcake liners halfway with batter.

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Place cupcakes on wire cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Warm homemade chocolate sauce in microwave if needed.

Spoon warm homemade chocolate sauce over cooled cupcakes just enough to cover the tops.  Sprinkle with some mini-chocolate chips (optional).

Allow chocolate sauce to cool and harden slightly.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

If making ahead of time, store cupcakes in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

These Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting were a major hit at the charity bake sale at my work last week.  One of my old bosses told me he bought 3 of them too!  Several coworkers who have tried my last recipe of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting had bought these new cupcakes at the bake sale.  They helped sell out the cupcakes by telling other coworkers how good they were (thanks guys).  I promise that this new recipe is even better than the last one.  I cheated by using the boxed spice cake mix, but I made it healthy with using 1 can of plain pumpkin puree.  There is no added eggs or oil to the cupcakes.  These cupcakes are so light and moist too.  I can't say that the maple cream cheese frosting is healthy but I can say it is absolutely delicious!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 box spice cake mix

15 ounce canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in muffin pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the box of spice cake mix and pumpkin.

Fill cupcake liners halfway with batter.

Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Place cupcakes on wire cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (1 package)

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Directions

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth.  (You can also use a hand mixer.)

Add vanilla and maple syrup.

Slowly add in confectioners’ sugar half a cup at a time.  Continue beating until well combined and smooth.

Chocoholic Cupcakes

I have never made these cupcakes before but it really is a chocoholic cupcake.  I used a devil's food cake mix, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips!  What I love is that I finally tried coconut oil and its awesome.  It gives a slight coconut flavor and the cupcakes are so moist.  I just replaced the same amount of coconut oil instead of vegetable oil (check the box of your cake mix).  These cupcakes are light, fluffy and chocolatey.  The chocolate cream cheese frosting turned out pretty good, I somewhat experimented with this frosting.  I added in a little vanilla extract and kahlua coffee liqueur :)  Kahlua really does bring out the chocolate flavor!  Overall I think these chocolate cupcakes will be a success at work tomorrow for a coworker's birthday.  I think he'll be surprised!  I of course did a taste test and the chocolate cream cheese frosting with the chocoholic cupcakes were amazing.  I think I need to leave one for my dog walker tomorrow too since she has been so great with Ellie being sick this week.  You need to make these cupcakes, for someone's birthday or just because!

Chocoholic Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 box devil’s food cake mix

½ cup coconut oil

1 ¼ cup water

3 eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

 

Directions for Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

 

In a stand mixer, add in all ingredients but chocolate chips.  Mix on low for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes.

 

Stir in chocolate chips.

 

Divide batter evenly between muffin cups about ¼ cup batter.

 

Bake for 18 minutes.

 

Let cupcakes cool in pans, about 5 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks.

 

Let cool completely before frosting.

For Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
¼ cup butter, softened at room temperature
½ cup cocoa powder
4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1 teaspoon kahlua coffee liqueur (optional)

mini chocolate chips (optional topping)

Directions

Beat cream cheese, butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and kahlua until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar ½ cup at a time making sure to incorporate it fully before you add the next ½ cup.  Makes enough for 24 cupcakes.

Note:  I topped the frosted cupcakes with mini chocolate chips!  I used a frosting bag with a piping tip to frost the cupcakes.  I place the frosting bag in a tall glass to make it easier to fill.  Sorry, excuse the dog treat jar in the background though they make great doggie cake decorations :)

Perfection!  I would store these in the fridge and take out beforehand to serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Taste testing here!