Basic Yellow Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting

My mom is the person who started my cupcake obsession. I blame her for a lot of things good and bad :) Well with her obsession she loves testing all the cupcake bakeries she can find from Boise, ID to all cupcake stores in UT all the way down to Vegas!! With all this testing the true test of a cupcake bakery is if they can make a GOOD basic cupcake. You know the childhood favorite yellow with chocolate frosting. This one is our favorite so far :) If you have tried my Strawberry Lemonade or my Orange Creamsicle you will notice the bases are really the same with slight changes to make them what i want. Well enjoy!

Yellow Cupcake Base

1 dry yellow cake mix                        1 C. sour cream or plain yogurt

1 C. flour                                          2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 C. sugar                                         1 tsp almond extract (optional)

¾ tsp salt                                          3 eggs

1 1/3 C. water                                  

Mix all the wet ingredients. Mix all dry separate then add to wet mix. Scoop into cupcake papers and bake 350° for 18-25 min (time depends on your stove and cupcake pan) 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting                              

1 1/3 C (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 C. cocoa                                    

¾ tsp salt                                     

4-5 C. powdered sugar                  
1 C. heavy whipping cream

 ¼ C. milk

2 tsp vanilla 

 1 C. heavy whipping cream

2/3 C. Ovaltine (if you leave out it is fine just not AS good)

Cream together butter, cocoa, and salt.  It will be really thick.  Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar.  Turn  mixer on low while adding the sugar, milk and vanilla extract.  As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting.  Beat until smooth.  In a 2 C. measuring bowl stir together the heavy cream and the Ovalitine . Add the heavy cream mixture. If it makes it too moist then add more powdered sugar or dont add all the heavy cream mix.