Dark Chocolate Fudge Chocolate Chip Birthday Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

My baby turned 2 today. I made these for her birthday celebration.



Of course, we didn't start the day with cupcakes. Who gives their kids cupcakes for breakfast?! Nope. We started our day with an exceptionally healthy, nutritious breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes smothered in syrup and topped with whipped cream.



Mickey Mouse style for the birthday girl and her much adored big sister, thank you very much!


We actually made the cupcakes a day ahead, while the birthday girl napped. I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix and we stirred in 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips...you know, because these cupcakes weren't going to be chocolatey enough.



My oldest and her bff just HAD to help bake the cupcakes.



I can't decide which was sweeter, the cupcakes, or these two little ballerinas baking in last year's dance recital costumes for their favorite soon-to-be two year old "tag-a-long".



The girls lined each muffin tin with papers and then helped to fill them up.



Here are the dark chocolate fudge chocolate chip cupcakes just begging for some frosting.



I just happened to have some cream cheese frosting leftover from the Red Velvet Cake I made for my in-law's 40th wedding anniversary. I mixed 2 cups of the frosting with 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter.



Here is my secret weapon for making cupcakes look like they came from the bakery rather than my humble little kitchen, my Wilton Decorating Tip 8B

Of course, my daughter is obsessed with Dora right now, so I topped the cupcakes with these Dora the Explorer Star Whistles 4 pc.



Because we weren't eating the cupcakes until the next day, these cream cheese frosted treats needed to be refrigerated. I put them in my Wilton Ultimate 3-In-1 Cupcake Caddy and Carrier and into the fridge. If you make (and transport) a lot of cupcakes, this is a must have. I use it for cupcakes, muffins, and cakes. Love it!



The birthday girl was thrilled with her cupcakes! Here she is this evening, cruisin' the house on her new pink Radio Flyer tricycle. Happy Birthday, baby! Or should I say Happy Birthday, big girl? Man did two years fly past!



I'll probably be baking her a "real" birthday cake later this month when we head back to Indiana for her birthday party with all of the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But today we celebrated with these cupcakes and some good friends.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Prepare and bake cupcakes according to package directions.

Frosting:

2-3 cups cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips (for garnish)

Stir peanut butter into cream cheese frosting. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Refrigerate until serving.

*The cake mix makes 24 cupcakes. The frosting makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes. I froze the other 12 cupcakes for another day.

To download or print this recipe click here!