Cheater Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream

I featured our carousels and parasols themed party last week and these cheater vanilla cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream were a hit at the party.

I get tired of making a plain old vanilla buttercream cupcakes and so I jazzed them up with some white chocolate buttercream.

Just a quick fact: I am not a white chocolate fan.

But I LOVED this white chocolate buttercream. It made me nice and sick afterward but it was so worth sneaking a little taste. And it was amazing!! It has a really nice balance of flavor to it and the partygoers loved it.

I was a cheater on the vanilla cupcakes and used box mixes to cut down on time. But I dressed them up a little to make the boxed mix cupcakes taste homemade. Some of our favorite brands are:

Miss Jones (I used Miss Jones frosting for the gluten/dairy free version of these cupcakes).

Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Mix

King Arthur Flour Gluten Free or Vanilla Cake Mix

Cheater Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream

How to Make a Cake Mix Taste Homemade:

• Replace the water in the recipe with milk. We suggest whole milk or for a non dairy version we suggest using non dairy creamer.
• Replace the oil in the recipe with butter. You can substitute non dairy butter.
• Add an extra egg (for vanilla) or 1-2 egg whites (for white) cake mix.
• Cook and cool cupcakes according to package directions. Prepare and frost cupcakes then make white chocolate medallions to garnish.

For the White Chocolate Buttercream:

• 2 sticks (½ pound) butter, softened
• 12 ounces white chocolate, melted (we recommend a high quality chocolate like Guittard or Ghirdadelli)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Slowly beat in the white chocolate. Move mixer to slow and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Turn to medium speed and continue to beat until frosting is light and fluffy. (You may need to add a little more powdered sugar if needed--add ½ cup at a time until your desired consistency is reached).

Frosts approximately 24 cupcakes. You can half this recipe for 12 cupcakes.

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine