Sometimes it’s the simple things that can level up your dessert decoration. For these cupcakes, it was using a chocolate leaf mold.

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Spice Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcake Mix

• 1 box Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Spice Cake Mix

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbs milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Leaves

• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

Cupcakes

1. Follow instructions on box to make the cupcakes.

Frosting

1. While the cupcakes are cooling, start making the frosting by mixing the butter and shortening until smooth.

2. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract.

3. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until everything is well combined.

4. Separate the frosting into three bowls and add red, orange or yellow food coloring to each.

5. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, begin to frost with the red at the bottom, add a ring of orange next and finish with a swirl of yellow on top.

Chocolate Leaves

1. Melt chocolate chips. You can do this either in the microwave or on the stove. I tend to do it in a microwave. If you do it this way, place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and begin by putting them in for 1 minute. Mix and place back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. The chocolate will burn if you leave it in too long so make sure you keep an eye on it.

2. Pour into the mold and place into the freezer for about 5 min. or until solid. Once they're ready, pop them out and lightly press them onto the frosted cupcakes.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that can level up your dessert decorating. For these cupcakes, it was using a chocolate leaf mold. I mean, come on, how perfect was this mold for fall cupcakes!?

As much as I love how these cupcakes turned out, I think the one thing I would do differently next time is to make the frosting go red, yellow and white to give more of a distinction between the colors. It seemed that no matter how much red food coloring I added, there was no convincing it to go darker. I swear there are three colors of frosting on that cupcake! The red and orange icing just decided to forgo my vision.

If you’ve never tried using shortening in your icing, I highly recommend it. I find that it holds the frosting in tact for a longer amount of time while you decorate yet remains a soft consistency. In past experience, normal buttercream frosting would become runny and difficult to work with not long after I’d start piping. Somewhere along the way, I stumbled across recipes that incorporated shortening; and boy what a difference it makes! My go to buttercream frosting with shortening recipe is from Life, Love & Sugar.

Baking tip: After you take the cupcakes out of the oven, cover them with tinfoil. This traps in the steam and keeps your cupcakes from drying out.