Description
These rich and moist Chocolate Cupcakes are made with a dark chocolate cake mix blended with pumpkin puree and instant chocolate pudding for extra fudgy texture. Topped with a smooth and creamy low-fat cream cheese frosting sweetened with monk fruit, they offer a delicious dessert option with balanced sweetness and a hint of pumpkin flavor.
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 15.25 oz Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix
- 1.17 oz instant chocolate pudding (fat free, sugar free)
- ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp water
Frosting
- 8 oz less fat cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup plain low fat Greek yogurt (2% fat)
- ⅓ cup monk fruit sweetener (or sugar)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray them with oil to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the canned pumpkin puree and water. Stir until well mixed to create a smooth liquid base.
- Add Pudding and Cake Mix: Add the instant chocolate pudding mix to the pumpkin-water mixture and mix thoroughly. Then, add the dark chocolate fudge cake mix and beat the entire mixture for 2 minutes until smooth and well combined.
- Fill and Bake: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, plain low-fat Greek yogurt, monk fruit sweetener, and vanilla bean paste. Beat the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
- Pipe Frosting: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off, then pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in decorative swirls.
Notes
- Make sure not to use pumpkin pie filling as it contains spices and sweeteners that will alter the flavor.
- Softened cream cheese should be at room temperature for smooth frosting.
- You can substitute monk fruit sweetener with regular sugar, but adjust sweetness to your preference.
- For best results, do not overfill cupcake liners to avoid spills while baking.
- The cupcakes keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
