Cupcakes: Pistachio, Dark Chocolate

I loved it!!Who doesn't love a good cupcake. I have found two recipes that I loved and will be making again.

Pistachio Cupcakes from Real Mom Kitchen

Cupcake:

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 (3.5 oz) package instant pistachio pudding
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup club soda

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 (3.5 oz) package instant pistachio pudding
• 4-6 drops green food coloring
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, optional

1. In a large bowl, beat together all of the cupcake ingredients with a mixer. Mix on low for 30 seconds then increase speed and beat for 2 minutes. Beware that the club soda with cause the ingredients to puff while adding them to the bowl.
2. Place batter in muffin tins that have been lined with liners. You only need to line 21 muffin tins. Fill tins about 2/3 of the way full with batter.
3. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes until golden. Allow cupcakes to cool.
4. Once cupcakes have cooled you can make the frosting. In a large bowl, whip together the milk, whipping cream, and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. I did this in my kitchen aid.
5. Then beat in the package of pistachio pudding and food coloring until combined and firm peaks form. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Sprinkle each cupcake with a little of the chopped pistachios if desired. Makes 21 cupcakes.

Here is the original recipe that I found at how sweet it is.
i will mark in red what I changed! If i were to make these again I think that I would follow the recipe above for the cake part, just change everything to chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
makes 12 cupcakes i doubled it

1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder used regular coca powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup homemade fudge sauce (recipe below) didn't make the fudge sauce I had left over fudge frosting in a can, i just microwaved that until it was runny enough to pour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, cream, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in sour cream. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, then swirl in fudge sauce. Line a muffin tin with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool before frosting.


Peanut Butter Buttercream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter didn't measure this but used more

3-4 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons of milk since i used more pb I used more milk

pinch of salt
Cream butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar with mixer on low speed and gradually add milk and vanilla extract. Mix until frosting is smooth. If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more sugar. Frost cupcakes as desired.


Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark cocoa powder
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 cup boiling water or scalding milk
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Combine sugar, cocoa, salt, and flour in a bowl or pot over a double boiler. Bring water or milk to a boil. Gradually add hot liquid to sugar mixture. Stir constantly until mixture thickens.
Once it has reached the desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Drizzle over cupcakes and store the rest of the sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.