This is a repeat recipe from a few posts ago, but I wanted to include the recipe with the “how to eat a cupcake” tutorial–isn’t she a sweetheart? All home bakers want to learn how to make boxed cake taste like made from scratch so here you go again! As I mentioned before, I’m a purist and somewhat of a snob when it comes to baking, but for the sake of busy schedules and time crunches I did some research and found this technique to be quite valuable, light, airy and tasty!

Keeping in the theme of “store bought” mixes, I also found a delicious canned frosting that I was quite fond of as well. So, going against the grain, here are my Vanilla Cupcakes Topped with Milk Chocolate Frosting.

The Technique:

1: Read the directions on the cake mix.

2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich).

3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount.

4: Instead of water, use whole milk.

5: Add a small box of instant pudding—coincide the flavor with the cake flavor (optional but nice–if pudding is added to the cake mix, omit) Or add French vanilla pudding to yellow cake, chocolate pudding to chocolate cakes…you get the picture.

6: Mix well and bake for the time recommended on the box.

Ingredients:

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 small box of French vanilla instant pudding

1 can  of “Buff Goldman” milk chocolate frosting, or your favorite brand.

Directions:

Preheat oven according to package directions.

Prepare cake mix according to the technique above. Put liners in muffin tins. Fill tins 2/3 full.  Bake according to package directions. Remove from oven cool completely on baking racks before frosting.

Frosting:

Buff Goldman’s or good quality canned frosting. Fill piping bag with frosting  Pipe! Or simply frost by hand.

Note: Makes 24