One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Frivolous and self-indulgent. Tease me with your colorful sprinkles on top of your luscious chocolate frosting. Hidden underneath your thick and buttery topping, I find your moist and delicate cupcake.

These are cupcakes from my childhood. Maybe from your childhood? If not, you wish they were. Simply because they possess magical powers. Yes, cupcakes can be magical!

Staring at the photos of the cupcakes we devoured this weekend, I feel some slight relief. My eyes are hypnotized again by the colorful sprinkles. I can smell all that chocolately goodness. I remember how good these chocolate cupcakes tasted!

Could life be better? I’m not going to lie…It could. There are things going on now that I’ve mentioned. Health issues that won’t leave me alone. It should’ve been comforting yesterday having my high school friend Berta, my dear doctor calling me with some results. “Berta baby” is what I still call her after all these years. Berta baby, I’d rather you call me to meet for a coffee. Berta tells me not to worry.

I tinker slightly on the edge of a little despair. I pride myself in being a positive and happy person. Tears well up in my eyes all day as I wonder is Berta telling me the truth? I snap at my daughter tonight for not going to bed when I tell her to for the 3rd time. I have no patience when my son tells me he doesn’t like my drawing of Disney’s Cars. He tells me Luigi just doesn’t look like that. Inside I feel like I’m a crappy mommy. My daughter asks me why am I so grumpy.

I take a deep breath. I breath out and I dream of waking up tomorrow to some cinnamon bread with my caffe’ latte. I bolt to the kitchen and I start to bake. Somehow measuring out the flour and the sugar takes the edge off. I crack the eggs and start to smile a little. When did baking become my therapy?

I made these cupcakes this past Sunday with my kids. We baked and photographed our creations. We giggled as sprinkles were strewn across the counter and the floor. The dogs happily licked up the crumbs.

We then took a batch to my daddy. His eyes lit up when he saw us arrive. He called later to tell us how happy he was we came to visit and how good they were.

You could surpise your daddy (or mommy, or neighbor even?)and make him smile. Bake him a batch of chocolate cupcakes this weekend. Call your best friend to come over and catch up with a cup of coffee and a cupcake. Or maybe some cinnamon bread.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
yields: 18-24


3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil (or canola oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full (I use a one scoop ice-cream scooper). Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
recipe from: Martha Stewart

Chocolate Frosting

2 1/4 c. confectioner’s sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3/4 c. sour cream
Sift sugar, cocoa, and salt into a bowl.

Beat cream cheese and butter in separate bowl on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce speed and add sugar/cocoa/salt mixture slowly.  Add melted chocolate slowly and beat until combined. Add sour cream and beat until smooth. Add your sprinkles. Take a bite. Smile and enjoy!

Thank you for passing by to see what's baking in the Duchess' kitchen! I appreciate your comments and your friendship. As always, thank you for showing me your support.

My sweet little girl has started to work on her blog:) She made these cupcakes with me this weekend and just wrote her post. I'm so proud of her! Here is the link: http://tiny.cc/c2yzs