Sunday, November 15, 2015

Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes with Best Ever Chocolate Frosting

 Hmmm, looks like I have taken several years off blogging…Yikes! I should probably should just start a food blog since pretty much all I put on Instagram and Facebook is food and pretty much all anyone wants to know about my life is food related anyway. But, I don't have time right now and I know at least a few of you are dying to make these amazing cupcakes. Right. Now. So, here's the recipe. (adapted from www.bakerbynature.com who did the hard work of figuring out the proportions etc.) 
Hope you like them!


My friend says he licks his phone when I post pictures of my food…I just wish I could add a scratch and sniff feature.  

Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes 
3 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs plus 1 additional egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Prepare muffin tin with paper liners (this makes 14-16 cupcakes). No need to spray with Pam.
In medium glass bowl melt butter, oil and chocolate chips in microwave on half power, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Set aside to cool
In another medium bowl combine all dry ingredients and whisk together until well mixed. Set aside.
In large glass bowl combine eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla and blend with hand mixer until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and blend until well blended. Then add half the dry mixture, half the sour cream, then the rest of the dry mixture and the rest of the sour cream. Mix lightly, just until everything is incorporated. Stir in hot water all at once, and stir with wooden spoon or spatula just until everything is smooth.
Using a large spring-loaded ice cream scooper, scoop batter into cupcake liners.  Bake 16-20 min, until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean, without fudgy crumbs.
Cool in pan 5-10 minutes, then cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Best Ever Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup salted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 Tbsp light sour cream
3-5 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt, as desired

Sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder together.  Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high until creamy,  scraping down sides, about 2 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and slowly add sifted sugar and cocoa mixture, alternating with sour cream and milk until the frosting is of desired consistency.  Add vanilla and pinch of salt, as desired. After all ingredients are incorporated, beat on high speed until light and smooth, at least one minute.  Spoon into piping bag using 1M tip (or any decorating tip you like) and frost cooled cupcakes.

I tripled this and made 36 huge cupcakes plus a 9" layer cake. I only doubled the frosting and only had enough to frost 34 cupcakes.  (My kids didn't mind and ate one without frosting, too.)