Cupcakes Cupcakes Cupcakes

I've posted before about my side hobby/job as a baking instructor at the Boston Center for Adult Education (by the way - teaching a cookie class on July 23! click the cookie pic in the upper left corner for more details). Last night I had my first class in their brand new kitchen at 122 Arlington Street - AMAZING kitchen. I felt like I was teaching a class on the Food Network or something...all stainless steel appliances, beautiful assortment of mixers, pots & pans, bowls...ah...amazing!

The class was a lot of fun too - I stuck with the standard (but delicious) chocolate & vanilla cupcakes. I did add one fun cupcake recipe: banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting...mmm. The banana cupcakes were AMAZING with the chocolate frosting actually...yum!

The vanilla cake recipe that I used is my go-to that I've blogged about before: http://www.creativeconfectioneryblog.com/2009/01/classic-vanilla-cupcake.html

The chocolate & banana cupcakes baked SO well in the new, state of the art ovens - actually better than the vanilla ones - not too sure why that was. These are great recipes to use though. Some are from the recipe files of the famous NYC bakery Magnolia Bakery, and some are others I've had or found along the way...

Today I'm sharing the chocolate cupcake & chocolate frosting recipes - banana cupcakes, vanilla & cream cheese frosting recipes coming soon :)

Chocolate Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes)

2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar, granulated
1 cup firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
4 large Eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate, melted*
1 cup Buttermilk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Set aside.

Using a double boiler, slowly melt the unsweetened chocolate, being careful not to burn. If you don't have a double boiler, use a pan with a bowl over it with an equal sized diameter. Once you have this, here is what you do:

- Fill a small to medium sized pan 1/2 way with water. Heat until simmering.
- Turn the heat off & place bowl immediately over hot water. This will keep the

chocolate from burning

- Add the chocolate in pieces, constantly stirring, until all is melted. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full (a little higher is okay).

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins & cool completely on wire racks before icing.

Chocolate Frosting

2 3/4 cups Confectioners' Sugar
6 TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
6 TBSP butter
5 TBSP Evaporated Milk (add more, 1 TBSP at a time, of the frosting seems to dry)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa 5 times, and set aside (really important to get the right consistency)

In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk (split the sugar mixture into 3 or 4 parts for this altering method).

Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar (more milk if too dry, more sugar if too soupy).

**Before frosting your cupcakes, make sure that they're completely cool or this frosting will melt.