Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with a "Hot Chocolate" Frosting

So I got a craving yesterday evening... (No, I'm not pregnant) I just NEED something sometimes. Yesterday, it was chocolate cupcakes... I thought about taking a drive to Gigi's Cupcakes or Just Baked... But I didn't see exactly what I wanted, and they were going to charge me $3 a cupcake.. Sorry, but that is outrageous, especially when I can make lots of cupcakes and a small round cake for under $5.

This is what I came up with. (I should mention I like things to be easy, especially at 7:45pm, so this recipe is from a box, the best kind in my opinion).

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 Box Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
1 Box of Chocolate Fudge Pudding (4 1/2 servings size) (I didn't realize I had grabbed the Cook N Serve, it                                
                                                                                                                                          worked though)
1 Stick of Butter, melted
4 Eggs
1 Cup of Sour Cream
3/4 Cup Milk (I had used 1 cup, but I think it needs to be reduced)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or Spray a muffin tin (I lined). If you want cupcakes and a cake, spray a small round spring form pan as well as the muffin tin.

There isn't really an order for the mixing of ingredients. So put it all in a large bowl and mix it up. I used my stand mixer, but you could use an electric mixer too. I let it mix for a couple minutes until it was voluminous (lol, odd use of wording there, but I am keeping it).

I like to use a an ice cream scoop or a measuring cup when distributing the batter into the cupcake liners  so all of my cupcakes will be the same size. Do whatever suits you best :) Once batter was in it's liners and cake pan I popped them into the oven. 

Cupcakes baked for about 15 minutes (give or take), insert a toothpick to check their doneness. The cake was in for about 30 minutes. 

Cool before frosting.

"Hot Chocolate" Frosting

Ingredients:

2 Packets of Hot Chocolate Mix (No Marshmallows)
2-3 Tablespoons Half & Half (Milk could work too)
Small handful of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips (I used Semi Sweet)
1 Stick of Butter (Softened)
6-8 Ounces Cream Cheese (Yeah... I don't know exactly how much I used)
About 3 cups of Powdered Sugar
Splash of Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Place Half & Half, Hot Chocolate Mix, and Chocolate Chips into a small saucepan and heat over low heat  until the hot chocolate mix is dissolved and the chips are melting (they don't have to be melted all of the way).  Don't boil this mixture. Turn off the heat and let it sit ( it will cool a bit, and that's good).

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat butter and cream cheese until it's smooth and looks like it's getting fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, beating in between. (Once the sugar is mixed in enough, I turn the speed to high so the frosting can get a good beating/whipping).

Slowly add in the melted chocolate (again, mixing in between additions).

At this point I tasted the frosting to see if I needed to add anything, and decided to add a little more sugar, but that is up to your taste.

Frost away and enjoy.