Chocolate Cupcakes

I feel that the proper first post on my blog should be something that I love so much. Cupcakes. I do have a serious love for them. Mostly the icing, but the cupcakes too.

These cupcakes taste great and were really moist. The best part is that they are really easy to make.

I found this recipe in the February 2008 Martha Stewart Living Magazine. They are the cupcakes that are on the front cover. I originally made the icing that they have on them, but it tasted terrible. And that coming from me, who is a lover of all icing, means that it was really really bad. Also, while making that disgusting icing, it broke my hand mixer! Luckily I had my kitchen-aid as back-up.

Sift together in a large bowl:

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/2 cups all pupose flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking Soda

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

Then add:
2 Large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil (I used vegetable oil, I am sure any oil works)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into lined standard muffin tins. I made 12 'regular' cupcakes and 18 mini-cupcakes. Fill the cups until they are about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350. The standard cupcakes about 20 minutes and the mini-cupcakes about 10 minutes. Do the toothpick test to make sure they are done. Just don't over bake, because then they aren't moist.

Let them cool and ice them.

Like I said above, the original icing I did was terrible. I am shocked that Martha led me astray. I thought that I could count on her. I had to use the standard Butter Cream icing recipe on the back of the icing sugar bag!

Cream 1/2 cup soft butter (I used Margarine) with 2 cups icing sugar.

Beat 2tsp vanilla, 2tbsp milk and 1 cup icing sugar.

I actually added more icing sugar than that. Because I knew I was piping my icing on I needed it a little thicker so that it would hold the piping shape. Depending on the consistency you want you can add more icing sugar or more milk. Then add your color choice of food coloring or food paste.

I got some new food paste at Michaels the other day and I was so excited to use it. I think the color is a little shocking at first and almost looks radioactive. But I love the color.