This weekend, amongst the madness of just-paid Army wives and Thanksgiving shoppers at the Commissary, I spotted a box of Jell-O Pumpkin Spice Pudding!  *SQEEEEEEEEL*  I immediately tossed it into my basket and continued on my shopping.

Today… my husband is hungover.  A bottle of Johnny Walker and half a bottle of Glenlivet between him and his buddy Jody… well, they’re both not happy soldiers today.  Which means… I’m alone to bake whatever my little heart desires!

First, it was my second double batch of Holiday Chex Mix of the season… now it’s cupcakes… and after the cupcakes are done…  the roast, taters and carrots go in the oven!  Are you jealous yet? hehe  It’s a fabulous day to be in my kitchen!

So… the cupcakes.  I’ve said over and over how I’m not a “box mix” kinda baker.  But I find myself lately having a box “on hand” in my kitchen and well… whip up a batch of one-bowl cupcakes using it!  Eeeek.  Now that I have a box of pudding mix… I thought maybe the two might go together!  I thought a nice maple cream cheese frosting would go well with them too!  YUM!

WRONG.  Total disaster.  The batter started out okay…. had promise.  They baked, puffed up perfectly.  See… don’t they look pretty?

WRONG… they sunk.

I thought… well maybe, I can salvage them with frosting.  NOPE.  Wrong again.  I tasted the cupcakes and they were DISGUSTING!  They tasted like pudding… but nothing like cake!  No flavor and just GROSS! ACK!

Into the trash can they went.

I’ve learned my lesson.  NO MORE BOXED CAKE MIX!

And as for the pudding… I’ll stick to eating it out of the bowl and not in my cupcakes.

Here’s a picture of the ingredients I used…. so that you won’t make the same mistakes I did.

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix
1 box pumpkin spice pudding
2 cups cold milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla (not pictured)
spices

SO… what did I do wrong? Any suggestions? How do you make your pudding cupcakes?