Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Did I mention that my boyfriend loves sweets?  Oh, I said that already?  Wait, now I remember: I think my exact words were, "He has an insatiable sweet tooth and I can't say I have the inclination or the will power to refuse him."  Hmm, lets check again... Yep, that's is still true.  So you will have to forgive me, but despite the fact that he is leaving in three days (soooooo sad), I now have a backlog of sugary and chocolately recipes that I will be posting.  These recipes will not be kind to your waistline and will most certainly violate any possible diet you might be on, but they absolutely will make you smile with glee.  So to kick off this sugar-spree, I present rich, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth Double Chocolate Cupcakes.  

So my boyfriend obviously really enjoys his sweets, which means he loves his cupcakes.  But they can't be just any cupcakes.  Oh no.  They need to have chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.  No peanut butter, or mint, and certainly no berries.  In his opinion, chocolate should be chocolate.  (He is crazy.  Give me chocolate and strawberries any day, and I am happy woman.)  So, to appease the love-of-my-life a.k.a. chocolate-worshipper, I went on a quest to find the perfect chocolate cupcake.

   

I searched through all of my trusted cookbooks for a recipe that I thought he would like, and I came up empty handed.  Maybe I don't have the right cookbooks?  Can anyone recommend a good cookbook for cupcakes?  We almost bought this one, and someone else suggested Martha Stewart's Cupcakes...I should have just bought the 500 Cupcakes book.  Either way, I turned to the internet for a recipe and came across this Cupcake Blog.      

OMG.  I found the mother-lode of cupcakes.  Every cupcake you could possibly imagine is here, plus some that I probably couldn't imagine.  And of course, there was a recipe for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate butter cream frosting.  Success!  (By the way, just in case you are looking for another version of a chocolate cupcake, check here for a comprehensive listing.  These cupcakes were under the category of "rich."  Not surprising.)  

After quite spontaneously deciding to make these cupcakes, I managed to whip them up in no time since they used ingredients that I already had on hand (and you probably do too).  Very pleasing.  I used high-quality cocoa for both the cake batter and the buttercream frosting, which I think made a big difference in the final taste.  And don't even think about making the recipe for the cupcakes, but skipping the buttercream in favor of store-bought frosting; if that is your intention, turn around and go home.  Homemade buttercream is truly divine, and by that I mean it is literally sent from heaven.  This recipe captures the taste and texture perfectly.  

I frosted my cupcakes using a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip, and I made two different versions:      

Which one do you like better?  I can tell you our vote: although the small leaf pattern looks more appealing and interesting, the double layer of swirl frosting won hands-down.  When you bite into this cupcake, it is dense, moist, and satisfyingly sweet without being too cloying.  In fact, it was so good that I had to eat two.  And my boyfriend?  Oh, he mowed through five of these cupcakes like there was no tomorrow.  Surprised?  Not at all.  Happy?  Absolutely.       



Double Chocolate Cupcakes
Halved from a Chockylit recipe


1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup quality unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg


Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: 
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup cocoa
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Add the first 7 ingredients to your mixing bowl, and beat lightly, then increase the speed and beat for an additional 2 minutes until batter is smooth.  Add the egg and beat again on high speed for 2 more minutes.  Line 12 cups of a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners and fill with batter until about 1/2 of an inch below the rim.  (For my cupcakes, I filled to about 1/4 inch below the rim; probably why I only got 11 cupcakes instead of 12!)  Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine were done in 17 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake center comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


Meanwhile, make buttercream frosting.  Add butter to mixing bowl and beat until creamy.  Add cocoa and 1/4 cup powdered sugar to the bowl and beat to incorporate.  Then add the remaining powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk and beat until creamy.  Depending on the consistency of frosting you prefer, you  may add an additional 1-2 tablespoons milk and beat frosting again.  When you have the thickness you desire, frost cupcakes.  For mine, I used a pastry bag with a small star decorating tip.