Brownie Cupcakes

Can you tell I love brownies? I’m addicted to them. So of course I thought brownies would be the perfect thing to bring along when I went to see a friends’ new baby for the first time. But I wanted to make cupcakes. Because I wanted to make pretty icing. So I had an inspiration:

Brownie cupcakes. Why not? There are directions for cake-like brownies on the back of the brownie mix, so I thought I’d give it a try. I used a pouch of brownie mix and added mini chocolate chips (because she just had a baby, duh, that means she needs chocolate!). Paired with the sugary buttercream, the darkness of the chocolate brownie was a great combination. And you can probably tell it was a girl, from the pink and the pearls. Such a sweet, cute, adorable baby girl.

This recipe couldn’t be easier. Since I used a pouch of brownie mix instead of a box, it only made about 10 cupcakes. Perfect for a gift or for a small dinner party. (If you have a box of brownie mix in your cabinet, you can still make the recipe. Just follow the directions for “cake-like brownies” and double the frosting recipe.)

Enjoy!

1 pouch Brownie Mix (10.25 oz /8×8 pan size)

Water, eggs, and oil called for on back of pouch, made for cake-like brownies

½ cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup unsalted butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

Food coloring and/or sprinkles for decoration, if desired

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2.    Prepare brownies according to the directions on the back of the pouch for cake-like brownies (either extra water or an extra egg, depending on the brand you use).

3.    Fill muffin cups about ¾ full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

4.    To make the frosting, beat butter with a hand-mixer until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar one and mix until combined.  Add the vanilla. The frosting will be crumbly. Add the cream, starting with 2 tablespoons, and beat until the frosting is the desired consistency (adding more cream if necessary). Add food coloring if desired.

5.    Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles, if desired.