Birthday Cupcakes

A couple of weeks ago, my family celebrated my brother's birthday and I was in charge of the birthday cake. A cake could have been fun but this was yet another excuse to try out a new cupcake recipe. After searching through my Cupcakes! book for the perfect birthday cupcake, I decided that sometimes simple is the best option. What started off as a simple recipe, ended up being as time consuming as all of the other cupcake recipes I have tried. So I begin this blog with a fair warning... there are lots of pictures for all the different steps. This recipe for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting makes 18 regular cupcakes.

Cupcake Ingredients:

- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

- 1 1/4 cups sugar

- 2 large eggs

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup sour cream

- 1/2 cup water

Ingredients in a nutshell.

Before diving into the recipe, I must share a picture of my new double boiler. This was my first time to use it so I was both nervous and excited to try this recipe. Don't worry, you do not need to have a double boiler to make this recipe. I will provide directions that will work whether you have one or not.

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of a double boiler). Stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Combining sugar and butter makes a mashed-potato-like substance.

On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate.

Bye bye mashed potatoes!

On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter.

Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy and the color has lightened slightly, about one minute.

I love pictures of blenders and batter. If you think I am bad now, just wait until I get my kitchen aid mixer. I drool over this machine every time I visit Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Anyways, my hand mixer works just as good except for the fact that my white shirt was covered in batter by the time I was finished baking.

Mmmmm it looks good already and it is still missing a few important ingredients.

Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. I know what you are thinking... sour cream in a cupcake recipe? My husband had his doubts when he saw me pour it in, but I won him over in the end.

Still too may white streaks... keep mixing.

On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the water. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 18 muffin tin cups with cupcake liners. Fill each paper liner with a generous 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/3 inch from the top of the liner. Bake just until the tops feel firm and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pans on wire racks. Please refer to previous cupcake recipes to learn how to properly take out the cupcakes from the pan (http://thedraberts.blogspot.com/2009/08/chocolate-chip-cupcakes.html).

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

- 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature

Ingredients in a nutshell.

Repeat process of melting unsweetened chocolate as used for the cupcake batter.

Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into large bowl.

Add the butter, and using an electric mixer on low speed, beat until smoothly blended, about 2 minutes.

At first the mixture will look crumbly, but then it will form a smooth mass.

Beat in the melted chocolate.

At this point, I am trying my best not to taste it. Add the vanilla and cream, mixing to incorporate.

On medium speed, beat the frosting for at least 3 minutes, until it looks smooth and creamy and the color lightens. Using a small spatula, spread about 3 tablespoons of frosting on top of each cupcake, mounding the frosting in the center.

The cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

The end result looks pretty simple, but you are in on my little secret... nothing is simple when it comes to baking.

Bon Appetit!