Farewell Cupcakes

As part of my job, I run a disease-specific support group. The nurse for this clinic co-facilitates the group with me and has been the backbone of this group. She recently announced that she was leaving to pursue a new job opportunity and we had a goodbye party at our last group meeting.

She loves chocolate so I knew I wanted to make something chocolatey... cutting cake in groups is always a hassle and takes too much time so I decided to make cupcakes. I searched high and low for a recipe that I wanted to try and then I was flipping thru Martha Stewart Cupcakes and saw the marble ones. They are so cute! I then found the chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Overall, the cupcakes were good but the frosting was great! Marble cakes are a bit of a hassle but also kind of fun to make. I'd definitely make these again.


Marble Cupcakes
Martha Stewart

Ingredients
Makes 16 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk, room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup boiling water
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and cream.

2. Cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk mixture, and beating until combined.

3. To make chocolate batter, measure out 1 cup batter, and transfer to another bowl. Combine cocoa and the boiling water in a bowl. Stir into reserved 1 cup batter.

4. Fill prepared cups with alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batter, filling each three-quarters full. Run the tip of a paring knife or wooden skewer through batter in a figure-eight motion to make swirls. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are golden and a cake tester (i.e. toothpick) inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

5. To finish dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.


Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Martha Stewart

2 – 2 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
pinch of salt
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
¾ cup sour cream

Directions

Sift sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into a large bowl. Put cream cheese and butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar mixture; mix until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in chocolate and sour cream. Use immediately.

Chocolate Decorations
Chocolate Melts
Canola Oil
Wax Paper
Piping bag

Melt chocolate either in microwave or in double boiler. Mix in a few drops of canola oil to thin chocolate. Assemble piping bag with tip and coupler and add chocolate. Pipe the design on the wax paper and let sit until hardened.