CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES – BUTTERCREAM FROSTING ©copyright – all rights reserved

Ingredients

1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (7 ounces) sugar

2 ounces of Belgium chocolate pestles

2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten ahead in a small bowl, thoroughly

2 large egg yolks, room temperature = add to beaten eggs and combine thoroughly

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 fluid ounces) vegetable or canola oil, measured in a liquid measuring cup

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

1/3 cup (2 3/4 ounce) full-fat sour cream

1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup (2 ounces) cocoa powder – European

1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) room temperature water, measured in a liquid measuring cup

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and bloom it until almost doubled, and then sugar fairly slowly until fully combined. The end result should look like wet sand.
  3. Melt the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl over pot of simmering water.
  4. Once the melted chocolate is cool enough to touch, add it to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
  5. Mix in beaten eggs and egg yolks
  6. Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.
  7. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a separate medium-sized bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well after sifting.
  8. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
  9. Mix in water until just combined.
  10. Spray cupcake pans with Pam and then spray liners. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and put in the oven.
  11. Check for doneness at 18 minutes – a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. If they are not done, check again every three minutes until they are done.
  12. Immediately remove cupcakes from the cupcake tin and place on a cooling rack or on the counter to cool to room temperature. Although they are really good when they are hot, be sure to wait until they are room temperature to give your evaluation.

Notes:

If you would like to add coffee to the recipe, either add 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee granules along with the sifted dry ingredients, or replace the water with room temperature brewed coffee.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

6 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/3-cup heavy whipping cream

1-teaspoon vanilla paste

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 ounces bitter sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

  1. While cake is baking, beat ¾ cup butter in large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Continue beating, gradually adding confectioners’ sugar alternately with whipping cream and vanilla extract and scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy (1 to 2 minutes). Add corn syrup; mix well. Reserve ½ cup for cake filling.
  2. Add melted chocolate to remaining frosting; mix well.
  3. Place 1 cake layer or muffins or cookies and frost, or put on serving platter; spread top with reserved frosting. Top with remaining cake layer; frost top and sides with chocolate frosting.