Kitchen: Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Icing

Seriously you guys, I have thought about these cupcakes at least 25 times a day since I made them on Sunday.  I told A that I think they are the best thing I have ever made.  The chocolate cake is moist (vs dry and crumbly) and the strawberry buttercream is airy and creamy and not too sweet (vs tasting like you're eating straight butter, although that's not always a bad thing).  The cake is easy.  The icing is a little multi-stepped but in my opinion it is totally worth it.  

Side Note: In my (limited) experience, baked goods recipes that have dairy like sour cream or buttermilk in them are always moist and delicious. Does anyone know why this might be?  Regardless, I think the buttermilk is key in the cake recipe!

These recipes came from a great food and dessert blog called Pink Parsley.  I have made several things from her website and have never been disappointed.  

Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from Pink Parsley

Makes about 30 cupcakes 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot expresso (I used powdered expresso to make this)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Separate cupcake liners into muffin tins.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt.  Mix the ingredients together over low speed.  Add the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.  Mix at medium speed until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes.  Carefully add the coffee and beat on the lowest setting to combine.  Remove bowl from the mixer and stir with a rubber spatula until well-combined.   The batter is really soupy but it will turn out ok!

Fill each muffin tin 2/3 full, and bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes in the muffin tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now for the really good stuff...

Strawberry Swiss-Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Pink Parsley 

Makes about 5 cups 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature

Puree the strawberries in a food processor.

Combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a small pan of simmering water.  Whisk constantly by hand until the sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).  (This takes a while... 10 minutes or more probably.)

Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment.  Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, mix until still (but not dry) peaks form.  (Still peaks meaning you can stick a spatula in the icing, pull it out, jiggle it a bit, and the peaks still stand straight up.)  Continue mixing until until the mixture is light, fluffy, glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the mixing bowl), about 10 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well between each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the speed to medium, and mix until the buttercream comes together (it can take up to several minutes, but it will come together eventually).  Switch to the paddle attachment and beat at medium-low speed to remove air bubbles, about 2 minutes.  Gradually add the strawberry puree, and mix to combine.

That's all!  I used a piping bag and a Wilton 1M tip to frost mine.  But that's another post...