Triple Chocolate Cupcake Delight

Around this time when there has been a plethora of Valentine's and Easter Candy EVERYWHERE, I get a craving for chocolate anything. To show some of my close co-workers (and friends) how much I appreciate them, I decided to share my love for chocolate with them.

Now, being a mom of a 2 and a half year old and a 3 month old, I don't have a lot of spare time on my hands. Whenever I do get a minute I rarely want to spend it in the kitchen all day long, or on my feet for that matter....wait, I don't mind being on my feet if it means I can go shopping though, hehe.



Anyhow, I feel so wrong when I bake something from a box. It's like I just feel like I'm saying "here's what I made for you...well not really me, but Betty Crocker" because all I am doing is adding water, oil and eggs! LOL. So, to make myself feel like I put some kind of personal mark on these cupcakes, I made my own Chocolate Almond Buttercream frosting on top of boxed Devil's Cake Cupcakes.

Chocolate Almond Buttercream Frosting

4 oz. Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1/2 Stick Salted Butter
3 1/2 c. Confectioner's Sugar
6 tablespoons of Milk (I used 1%)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

First, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on high. I did mine in intervals of 15 sec. until it was melted completely. Then pour it into a big mixing bown to cool down to room temperature.

Second, Mix in the Sugar, Milk, Extracts, and Salt.

That's It! Oh, and to make it even more chocolatey, I shaved some chocolate almond bark I had left over from the holidays onto the tops of the cupcakes.

Here's the smile of approval from my daughter. Enjoy!