Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Vanilla Icing

This weekend we had a birthday celebration at my moms home for two October birthdays. After logging in too many hours of watching Cupcake Wars, Cupcake Girls, Cake Boss, and Cake Walk I ecstatically volunteered to make cupcakes for the birthday kids.

My first recipe choice was for peanut butter frosted cupcakes but I didn't have all the ingredients in the cupboard. My sisters kids don't like cream cheese icing (I am still shocked from the news) so I decided I better keep it simple.

I searched the web and recipe books for ideas for a new cupcake recipe, something really good I thought. The result...a chocolate cupcake. I had to laugh at myself because really what was I looking for? We all know when it comes to kids you can't go wrong if it involves a lot of icing and sprinkles. So I baked up chocolate cupcakes and topped them off with buttercream, chocolate sprinkles, and a piece of a peanut butter cup.

The kids loved the icing and the peanut butter cup, and the rest of us enjoyed eating their leftovers.

These cupcakes are delicious...cupcake girls move over!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from: Joy of Baking

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Preheat your oven to 375 and grease or line muffin tray with paper liners.
• In a bowl stir together the boil water and cocoa powderuntil combined, let cool to room temperature
• In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt
• In your mixer, beat your eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy, adding your eggs one at a time
• Mix in your vanilla extract to your sugar/egg mixture
• Add your flour mixture and mix
• Add your cooled cocoa mixture and mix until smooth
• Fill your muffin cups to two-thirds full and bake for 16-20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool

Quick Buttercream Icing

Adapted from: Gale Gand

• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 teaspoon whipping cream

• Mix together sugar and butter in stand mixer. I used a paddle attachment, it worked great
• Mix on low speed until combined, than mix on medium for 3 minutes
• Add in vanilla extract and cream and continue beating on medium speed
• Add more cream for desired consistency

For decorating I did not have any icing bags or tips. I scooped the icing into a ziploc bag and sniped the end. It worked great!

Happy Halloween!