Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

 

I celebrated my 100th post this past weekend by baking my favorite chocolate cupcakes. They are so rich and moist! I love this recipe. I printed it out years ago from some website and recently found out that it is actually one of Hershey's classic recipes. The only change I made was using one cup of freshly brewed hot coffee instead of one cup of boiling water. It adds a nice dimension to the flavor of the cupcakes. Hope you like it as much as I do! :)

Chocolate Cupcakes (makes about 2 dozen cupcakes)

Recipe adapted from Hershey's website

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 cups granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (or boiling water)

Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.

In the stand mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Attach bowl to mixer and fit it with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix it on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Switch to low speed and add the hot coffee (or boiling water). Mix until smooth; about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly combined. Batter will be thin. 

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full. (I like using a ladle or transferring the batter into a pitcher with a spout so it'll be easier to pour into the muffin cups since the batter is so thin.) Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. They’re done when a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer pans to wire rack and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pans and let them cool completely on the wire rack before topping them with the buttercream.

Cupcakes can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let them get to room temperature (about 20-30 minutes) before serving them.

 

***These can also be made into cake layers by using two 9-inch round pans. Bake them for 30-35 minutes.*** 

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream (makes about 4 cups)

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

Ingredients

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into tablespoons

8 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly stir with a spatula until all the chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool. 

 

Combine the egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixture and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On high speed, beat the mixture until it holds stiff glossy peaks and has cooled down; about 6 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. On medium-low speed, add several tablespoons of butter at a time and beat well after each addition. (Beat on medium-high speed for several minutes if the frosting isn’t smooth enough after adding all the butter.) On low speed, add in the melted chocolate and beat until smooth; about 2 minutes. 

 

Thanks to my sis for this fun idea to pipe the buttercream :)