Spice Cake Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

 I was looking through our cabinets this past week trying to find something quick and tasty that I could make as a special Valentine's Day treat.  I happened to notice that we had a boxed spice cake mix and decided to make some bakery style cupcakes with that.

I whipped up some dark chocolate cream cheese frosting and topped each cupcake with some festive Valentine's sprinkles. 



Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

Spice cake mix

4 eggs

1 cup almond milk

2/3 cup melted butter 

red food coloring (optional) 

For the frosting:

8 ounce block cream cheese; room temperature

1 stick butter; room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1/c cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

Typically if I use a boxed mix to make cake or cupcakes I substitute the water called for on the box with milk, add an extra egg, and replace the oil with double the melted butter. This makes for a buttery flaky cake that tastes more like a fresh bakery cake than a boxed mix.  

I added a bit of red food coloring to turn my cupcakes pink. Once they were well mixed I scooped them into cupcake liners using my cupcake scoop and baked them for 18 minutes at 350 degrees. 



Once my cupcakes were cooked and cooled I whipped up my cream cheese frosting.  In the stand mixer I whipped up the cream cheese with the butter until  I had a smooth even consistency.  I turned off the mixer and added the cocoa and the powdered sugar altogether then turned the mixer on low until all the powder was incorporated.  I added the vanilla extract and turned the mixer to medium/high until it was nice and fluffy and I had the perfect frosting consistency.  


I taste tested it and realized this might be my favorite frosting ever!! It's all thanks to the dark cocoa.


I scooped the frosting into my piping back and piped a pile onto each cupcake.  

I finished up by adding some red sprinkles to the top. 




Linking up with: Spread the kindness, 














Comments

  1. Wow- what a perfect Valentine's treat!

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  2. These look like such great cupcakes! Thank you for sharing this recipe! It seems super easy!

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  3. That chocolate fudge type icing sounds amazing! And the finished cup cake looks so pretty!

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  4. Yum! I haven't used a spice mix in so long.

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    Replies
    1. Me neither! We haven't used any sort of baking mixes in forever.

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  5. These sound very tasty! I made some macaroons (which failed look ways, but still tasted good) and chocolate covered strawberries.

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  6. I've tried that dark chocolate powder before and it is my go-to now!

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  7. They look delicious and I love anything "spice cake"!

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  8. Dark chocolate is my very favorite. These sound incredible!

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  9. I sooo want these! I love everything dark chocolate and the spice cake is a long time favorite of mine!

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    Replies
    1. That's how I felt; I love dark chocolate and spice cake.

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  10. Replies
    1. Me too and adding chocolate to it just made it that much better.

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  11. When you combine the words Dark Chocolate with Cream cheese - I mean, how can you go wrong????

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  12. Oh wow!! These look amazing! I made cupcakes on Valentines Day. I was supposed to make a heart shaped cake but my husband decided to finish painting the other wall in the kitchen so I couldn't get all creative. Cupcakes was easy and I could sit at the table and ice them.

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    Replies
    1. I thought cupcakes would be easier serving wise with my crew; though I typically prefer making a cake.

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  13. How quick and easy is that? These look amazing & perfect for Valentine's Day.

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  14. This looks so yummy! I have been craving sweet so much lately. I have resisted not buying anything. I told myself if I'm going to eat sweets, I have to make them myself.

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    Replies
    1. I have been trying to cut back too and find that it is such a hard craving to ignore.

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  15. Love the idea of a spice cupcake with the chocolate cream cheese frosting. They look so pretty and sound so good. The color of the batter reminds me of rose gold!! Thank you so much for sharing with us!!

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  16. Omg these look and sound fantastic. I am stealing your frosting recipe. I don’t know why but frosting is my weakness, I completely suck at making it. Every time it turns out awful.

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    1. Do you use room temperature ingredients? I find you need soft butter (& cream cheese if using it) otherwise it turns out rather lumpy.

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  17. Oh my, Joanne, now I'm craving a cupcake with that delicious frosting! I'll bet that you made your family very happy on Valentine's Day.

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  18. Joanne, these look amazing! I need to restock on cocoa powder! I needed it the other day for something and realized I was all out! Thanks for linking with me. I pinned this recipe to try later!

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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  19. Congratulations!
    Your awesome post is featured on Full Plate Thursday,525 this week. Thanks so much for sharing with us. Hope to see you again soon!
    Miz Helen

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  20. Your recipe looks so nice I will definitely try it and if you have enough time you can check my site

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