Devil's Food Cupcakes... YUMM

    Martha Stewart has a whole cookbook dedicated to Cupcakes, I have done three different recipes from this book now and each one has been successful. The one I made yesterday, 4/16/11 for the birthday pot luck for work, I have made before; the Devil's Food Cupcakes. The first time I made them I was a bit disappointed. They initially came out dry, though they were still good enough to eat. I really wanted to make sure that they did not come out dry this time. Before I ever got to the baking I added just a touch more sour cream then the recipe called for to ensure that they remained moist. Anther addition to the recipe was a hint of espresso powder, a tip borrowed from Ina Garten who in a number of her recipes has instant coffee of some kind to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. The last thing of importance was the oven temp, mine was running a few degrees high, so when I realized that I bumped down my temp and the length of time that the cupcakes cooked.

The Batter:

Loaded tins:

Frosting, Chocolate Butter Cream; my mom's recipe(I know she got this off a box of something I just don't know what):

1/4 cup butter melted, poured into a mixing bowl
1/2 cup powdered cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 box of powdered sugar

Combine with the butter in the mixing bowl, the cocoa, salt, milk, and vanilla, blend, once blended mix in the sugar in three parts mixing between each addition until the mix is smooth and creamy. This is an easy frosting to make specifically when you forget to put your butter on the counter to soften, as I often do.

Ready for transport to work:

Those left behind for Ashley:

Birthday Girl Robin is pleased:

Adam gives his thoughts:

Will and Tara having fun with cupcakes:

Just the folks I work with enjoying the cupcakes makes it worth it. I would have put some up with Ashley enjoying his, however, he is not one to let me take a photo. The cupcakes were delish! More to come...