Chocolate Cupcakes
About this Recipe
We want to say thanks to Ashley for bringing us these adorable chocolate kitty cupcakes from her kitchen to share with you. What a wonderful birthday cupcake idea for a child's birthday party. These cupcakes are just the right amount of sweet, plus they are moist so the cupcake liners peel off easily. The little kitties ears are made from cookie wafers cut into triangles, the eyes of chocolate chips, a nose from Smarties candy and the little whiskers from tubed black icing gel.
Cupcakes can be much easier to serve than a piece of birthday cake. You don't need plates and forks and they are a good size for children. This recipe can also be made into Two 9-inch cakes that you can layer. The cream cheese frosting is delicious with the chocolate cake and we have the recipe below for that as well.
Grandmother's Kitchen Tips for Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe:
1. You can make these adorable cupcakes a day ahead and they will stay moist for party day. Cakes will generally stay moist at least 2 days on the counter. Once cooled store in a sealed container to keep fresh. Putting the frosting the same day as you bake helps to seal in the moisture on the cupcakes as well, but then you need to think about refrigeration if you are not serving until the next day.
2. Always give enough time for your cupcakes or cake to cool before you frost them.
3. It is generally considered safe to leave the frosted cupcakes or cake out on the counter for a few hours if the house is 70 degrees or cooler, otherwise you should refrigerate as refrigerating will assure the frosting stays nicer. If you do all the preparation in the morning and plan to eat later in the day you do not need to refrigerate.
4. If you are preparing in advance for an event baking cupcakes or cake, they freeze well before frosting and this is another option. Generally thaw time is only 20-30 minutes.
Ingredients
Makes 24 cupcakes (or (2)9-inch layer cakes)
Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pure virgin coconut oil (or another light oil of your choice, do not use olive oil)
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Chocolate Cupcakes Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the liners into the muffin tins.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl. Add Salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and sugar. Stir together with a fork and remove any lumps. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl beat the eggs with a fork until creamy. Add the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla and continue to mix with a fork until creamy and well incorporated.
4.Use an electric mixer on medium speed and mix the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Add the boiling water to the mixture and continue to beat until well incorporated.
5. Divide the batter into the prepared baking cups.
6. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean. (If baking cakes it will take 30-35 minutes to bake)
7. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes in the muffin tins then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting Directions:
1. Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add the butter and beat in. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy.
4. Frost the cooled cupcakes.
Measuring and Measurement Helpful Information
1. When you measure dry ingredients you should fill the measuring cup to overflowing. Do not pack it down. Level the top off with a knife. Flour should be measured before you sift it in recipes that you do sifting.
2. Although butter usually comes in measured sticks or packaging, if you are in a situation where it is not, fats can be measured instead by displacement. For example if you are wanting to measure 1/3 cup of butter, you fill a measuring cup to 2/3 cups of water and just add the chunks of hardened butter until it hits the one cup mark. The amount of butter you put in will be 1/3 cup.
3. When measuring liquids always fill to the brim or the lines on the measuring container.
4. Seasonings often will say to 'add to taste' and the only way you can achieve this is to actually do taste tests as you are preparing the dish.
Chart of Measurements
3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon
2 Tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce
4 Tablespoons = 1/4 cup
16 Tablespoons = 1 cup or 8 fluid ounces
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
