Chocolate Cupcakes and Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes

I was in need of a quick treat for Greg to take to scouts--I'm always looking for a reason to make a chocolate morsel and 11 year old boys usually are game. Time was short and I had a bowl of chocolate frosting in the fridge. We were out of graham crackers.

I really have nothing against cake mixes, used them for years. But I'm getting to be a chocolate snob in my old age and I really don't know what is in that little red box! I also did not want 36 cupcakes to dispose of so... Dorie Greenspan to the rescue (again). Her Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes did not disappoint! I had everything and the recipe made 12 cupcakes--perfect!

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, room temp

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl beat the butter till soft and creamy. Add sugar and beat 2 minutes, add egg and egg yolk beating for 1 minute after each addition, add vanilla. Slowly add half the dry ingredients mixing just till moistened, add buttermilk mixing until incorporated. Scrape down bowl and mix in remaining dry ingredients. Add melted chocolate and mix with rubber scraper. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups lined with papers (I like the cute foil liners).

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. The tops will be dry and springy! Cool before frosting (this means quickly putting them in the freezer for 10 minutes--always in a hurry).

The Best Chocolate Frosting Ever

This is the only chocolate frosting you will ever need, it's that good. It is yummy on brownies, cake, cupcakes and graham crackers too! And it is easy, Daurene wrote on my Facebook Wall that she liked easy recipes--so this one is for you Daurene!

1 cup semi sweet chocolate pieces that's about 6 ounces. I like Ghirardelli. If I can't find Ghirardelli chocolate chips I will chop up a semi-sweet baking bar. Please don't cheat and use milk chocolate or cheap chocolate--you can, it just won't be wonderful!

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat or in the micro--watch carefully as it scorches easily. In my old age I can't multi-task. So when I melt chocolate, I melt chocolate! Sad but true, now I am telling family secrets. Let mixture cool for a few minutes then add sour cream, I can however measure the sour cream and powdered sugar while the chocolate is cooling, so I guess all is not lost. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat till smooth. It's delicious! This would probably make enough for 24 cupcakes.