Ahhhh, Valentine's Day. It's funny how those two words can have such a diverse effect on people. Some people absolutely despise the day and think it's a cheesy holiday made up by greeting card companies. Others love it and take every opportunity to celebrate it with fancy dinner reservations, flowers that are priced sky-high, and gift exchanges. I don't remember ever hating Valentine's Day, even when I was single. How can you hate a day that celebrates one of the most beautiful emotions people can feel? But, I'm not one who insists on a grand celebration.
You'd probably have to drag me by the elastic waistband on my pajama pants to get me to go out to dinner on Valentine's Day. Is it weird that I don't want to endure hours of traffic mayhem to get to a dinner reservation only to be rushed through my meal so that they can turn the table for a third time, then get back on the road and sit in more traffic with a full stomach and bladder? That sounds more like torture to me. Although, some people would think that cooking a nice meal for your partner in the quiet and comfort of your own home with some flickering candles, and watching a romantic comedy while lounging on the sofa with a bottle of wine is torture. To me, that sounds heavenly. So, that's exactly what MAC and I will be doing this Valentine's Day. Hopefully, he won't have any objections, but I may need to negotiate the romantic comedy part...
So, onto these adorable cupcakes, dressed perfectly for Valentine's Day...
I've never been a big fan of cupcakes, mostly because I don't enjoy all the heavy frosting many cupcakeries pile on top, but I do love the cake parts. :) So, I decided to give these a try since I had some of this delicious strawberry buttercream leftover from making these last week. This buttercream has a light and fluffy texture to it, and the freeze-dried strawberries lends a lovely natural flavor to it. The original recipe I found was for 16 standard-sized cupcakes, so I adjusted it to make 24 mini's. It worked out perfectly because I didn't have much buttercream anyway. This recipe will make 8 standard sized cupcake, or just double it to make 16. The chocolate cake parts turned out to be extremely moist (probably from the sour cream) and delicious. It's such a versatile cupcake base that I bet would go well with a wide range of frosting flavors. But, for the occasion, the pink frosting is just right. Happy Valentine's Day!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
from Cupcake Project
Yields 24 mini cupcakes or 8 standard cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
1/8 cup (1 ounce) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) sugar
1 ounce semi sweet chocolate
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon (2 1/4 fluid ounces) vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/6 cup (1 1/4 ounce) full-fat sour cream
1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup (1 ounce) cocoa powder
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) room temperature water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar until fully combined. The end result should look like wet sand.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
4. Once the melted chocolate is cool enough to touch, add it to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until just combined.
6. Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.
7. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a separate medium-sized bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well after sifting.
8. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
9. Mix in water until just combined.
10. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and put in the oven.
11. Bake for 9 -11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
12. Immediately remove cupcakes from the cupcake tin and place on a cooling rack or on the counter to cool to room temperature.
Frost with this Strawberry Buttercream and top with your favorite Valentine's Day sprinkles.
yumm!!
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