Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Frosted Chocolate-Buttermilk Cupcakes

I completely happened upon this recipe by accident, but wow, I'm glad I did. I was in need of a good chocolate fix this holiday weekend, and while visiting Martha's site, I came across this recipe from Everyday Food, one of Martha's magazines that is also a PBS show. The look of the cupcakes reminded me of my favorite cake, Brown Beauty Cake, so I figured these cupcakes were going to be good.

These were almost a one-bowl recipe and super easy to put together. I had them put together and in the oven within about 15 minutes, if that. I did use Dutch-process cocoa powder, from Williams-Sonoma (because I can't seem to find it anywhere else), and I used real buttermilk, not powdered. You can always make your own buttermilk at home if you don't have any, but I happened to have some on hand from a recent red velvet cupcake recipe I made (which I will be posting soon). To make your own buttermilk, use 1 cup of milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice. I've read that you can also use vinegar, though I haven't tried that method personally.

Enjoy the yumminess!

Frosted Chocolate-Buttermilk Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food
Printer-friendly recipe

Makes 12 cupcakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 large egg
1 large egg white

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, combine cocoa and 3 tablespoons hot water until a thick paste forms (this process intensified the chocolate flavor - no joke, it really works!). Add butter, buttermilk, egg, and egg white; beat until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth.
3. Scoop (or spoon) batter into prepared tin(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread icing over tops. Decorate as desired.

Here's Martha's suggestion for frosting: Light Cream-Cheese Icing (and this will keep your cupcake around 180 calories!).

Here's mine, the more decadent version:

Super Easy Vanilla Buttercream (sort of)
1 stick of butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp half and half
Shake of salt
3 cups powdered sugar

Beat butter first with a spoon, then add vanilla and half and half and beat in. Next, add powdered sugar gradually, and mix until combined. Taste. Does it need a little salt? Probably, especially if you use unsalted butter. Add the salt and combine, then spread with an offset spatula on cupcakes.

5 comments:

kyooty said...

oh those look yummy!! the vinegar does work with the milk for BM but it's more of "sour milk" taste vs "butter milk" Butter milk just had this "taste" that i can't seem to replicate.

Drahdrah said...

Oh my goodness, that looks delicious !

Unknown said...

Delicious - yummy!

Steph said...

You had me at cupcakes!

...stopping by from SITS...

Steph @ Stick It in the Fridge

pleasestickitinthefridge.blogspot.com

Stephanie said...

Yummers! I adore chocolate and anything with fewer dishes is A's in my book!

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