I would like to say my life has become less busy/crazy. It obviously hasn’t, and I still kept thinking about baking, photographing, and this blog. I missed it. So I’m trying to keep this renewal alive. I swear the third time is the charm! I know I won’t be able to post as much as I used to, but I still want to explore baking and photographing, and document/share this process. So, here’s to a third go around!

I have a friend who is named Paula (go figure) and who loves to bake (conincidence?) Although had a baking party for her birthday, I figured another batch of baked goods couldn’t hurt. So I found this recipe from Tartelette that is the ultimate in chocolate cupcakes. I changed a bit of the recipe, and although it turned out relatively different from her pictures, it was a huge success (as told by Paula, my boyfriend, and family).

The Ingredients for the Cakes:

• 2 c. of whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp. of baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. of nutmeg*
• 1/8 tsp. of salt
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. of sugar
• 4 large eggs*
• 6 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 1 c. of buttermilk

* Two different notes: 1) I substituted nutmeg for cardamom. I’ve never used it before, and if I wasn’t giving the cupcakes as a birthday present, I may have tried it. I decreased the amount because I used semi-sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet, but when I make this again I would increase the amount to 1 tsp. 2) I may decrease the amount of eggs next time. I like my batter light and fluffy, and the batter looked perfect with 2 eggs. However, for my first time I followed the recipe and it did turn out well. I would just do it differently next time to see how it would turn out.  

The Steps:

1. In case you did not do this for prep, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Once at a boil, turn off the heat. Place a bowl with the chocolate chips on top of the pot (same size so it is resting on the pot, not the water), and stir the chips until completely melted. Remove from heat and set it to the side.
2. Preheat the oven for 350 degrees F.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until it is fluffy and creamy. It’s all about the ribbons forming. Add the eggs one at a time (either 2 or 4 depending on your preference), making sugar to beat each one well into the mixture. After all of the eggs are beaten in, add the chocolate and mix in well.
5. Add the dry ingredient mixture into the large bowl, alternating with the buttermilk.
6. Place cupcake liners in the cupcake pan, and then fill the liners about 2/3 full with the batter. The oven should reach the appropriate temperature at this time. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients for the Icing:

• 12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 c. of heavy cream

Whipping it Together:

It is best to do this right after you put the first batch of cupcakes in the oven. Because there is no sugar involved in this, you need to give the mixture time to cool and harden before you can actually whip it together. It seems unfathomable, but it works and it is amazing! It is like a light mousse for frosting.

1. Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a medium size bowl and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat up the cream on medium heat until it begins to simmer.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and leave it be for a few minutes so that the hot cream can melt the chocolate a bit. Then stir the chocolate until it completely melts and well-mixed together.
4. Instead of using the refrigerator to cool, I used the freezer. I cook late at night, and I don’t have the most time unfortunately. So I placed the bowl in the freezer for 30-45 minutes, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes to make sure it cooled evenly. What you need to make sure is that the mixture is thick and cool before you begin to mix it.
5. Once the mixture is ready, mix it until it is light and fluffy as if a regular frosting. It will really taste like mousse.

I went ahead and spread it on, but it might have come out better piped. Either way, it all tasted delicious. It is a rich, light cupcake that requires a glass of milk at the end. I hope that you all enjoy this recipe and that I will be able to share another one with you soon!