Cheater Cupcakes & Ganache

Cupcake Ingredients

1 box cake mix
1 4 oz box instant pudding
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup hot water
3 eggs
​1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mint Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

1 cup mint chocolate baking chips
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Yield

18 moist and airy cupcakes you will be proud to share with friends and family

About This Recipe

As you can see, I’ve been in the kitchen since I was a little girl...although now, I’ve traded that bikini in for my Nan’s apron (phew!)

This recipe was developed through old-fashioned trial and error alongside my amazing Mom (AKA Barbie), and it has become a staple in our repertoire. These cupcakes are moist, airy, easy and delicious — what more could you want?! We created this recipe years ago and while I sold them for a short time, I ultimately decided to focus more on the savory side of my business and recommended all cake inquires to my friends at Morris Bakery.

If you’ve been with me from the start, these cupcakes may have graced your birthday celebrations, baby showers, wedding receptions and family dinners. This recipe also holds a special place in my heart because it was my late father-in-law, Jim’s, favorite cake recipe. I made them for his surprise 50th birthday party, as comfort food when he was diagnosed with cancer, and to honor him at his celebration of life. I’m excited to share this recipe with you guys and hope they become the center of any gathering your family has, too.

Besides its obvious ease, my favorite part of this recipe is its versatility. Today I made this chocolate-with-mint-ganache version purely because I had these ingredients on-hand and who wants to leave their cozy home and sick puppy during a blizzard? You can easily swap the cake mix, pudding mix, and baking chips to create a wide variety of flavor combinations while sticking to the same base recipe and baking directions. Other than chocolate, my family, friends and client’s love yellow cake mix with vanilla pudding mix and lemon cake mix and lemon pudding mix. I can’t stress the excitement of utilizing a staple recipe and transforming it into whatever you need (or crave!)

The adaptability of this recipe extends to the ganache, too. Although “ganache” sounds fancy, it is laughably easy yet remarkably decadent. Its richness and silkiness pairs beautifully with the light and airy cupcake -- plus, there’s no fancy piping required. I always make this recipe with plain, semi-sweet chocolate chips but as I mentioned, I had the mint chips in the pantry and wanted to use them up! Feel free to play around and swap the mint for regular chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, candy chips, or just frost these beauties with store-bought frosting. These are “cheater” cupcakes, after all.

Steps

Dump all the cupcake ingredients into a large bowl or KitchenAid. Really, no need to add one egg at a time...just throw it all in there. Stir until just combined. Spray cupcake pans generously with baking spray. As you can see in the photo above, my pans are well-loved and were just $1 each at Dollar Tree.  Drop scant 1/4 cup dollops into each mold and you're ready to bake!

Baking Directions

Bake cupcakes in a preheated 350 degree oven for 14-17 minutes, rotating pans halfway through bake time.  Cupcakes are finished baking when they bounce back when tapped with your finger and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before dunking in ganache. 

Ganache Directions

Pour baking chips and heavy whipping cream into a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Stir to combine, and dip! 

Pro-tip: whip ganache after it has cooled completely for easy, homemade buttercream.

Share!

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear ways you made them your own, what your family and friends thought and a picture (if you can snap one before they're devoured!) I love food for its communal experience, so please feel free to share this blog with friends and family. 

Enjoy,
​Annie