Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting!

Monday is the first day of Spring!

Thank goodness! It is about time, I have been done with Winter since Dec. 27^th! I hope it starts to feel more like Spring soon, I love the fresh air and the smells of the blooming trees and how grass and trees start to turn green. To celebrate the new season I made these yummy cupcakes! They are so moist and chocolaty. Yum!

What you need for the cupcakes:

¾ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

¾ cup hot water

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 ¼ tsp coarse salt

1 ½ cups butter

2 ¼ cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

How to:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a small bowl whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Melt the butter with the sugar in a sauce pan over medium low heat, stirring to combine.

Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium low speed until mixture is cooled, about 4-5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add in the vanilla then the cocoa mixture, beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in two batches alternating with the sour cream. Beat until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each ¾ full.

Bake rotating half way through until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Turn out cupcakes onto the rack and let them cool completely.

To finish use a small offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cupcakes. Decorate as you like. Keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days in airtight containers. Bring to room temperature before eating.

Good luck making these last 3 days! That is hilarious! 3 days... ya right!

For the Frosting you need;

oh and since it is sour cream chocolate frosting guess you need this too... duh!

4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

½ cup cocoa powder, sifted

¼ tsp salt

12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup butter, at room temperature

18 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 ½ cups sour cream

I only made half this recipe because it is huge. I had lots for my cupcakes plus extra!

Sift together the confectioners sugar and cocoa and salt. With an electric mixer on medium high speed beat the cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the sugar mixture until combined. Scrape down the sides of bowl. Mix in melted chocolate and then sour cream. Beat until smooth.

To melt the chocolate, just chop up the chocolate and put it in a heat proof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat until chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until melted and smooth. Make sure no water gets into the chocolate, this can make it seize up, which is just no good!

I rolled half of mine is sprinkles after I put the frosting on, I just put the sprinkles into a bowl and rolled the frosted cupcakes right in it! They look so cute!

I love cupcakes. I think they are the perfect food. Make some today to celebrate Spring or that it is Monday or that you did the laundry... any excuse for a cupcake!

I am going to eat one now...ok 2 but don't judge me I have no self control.

Happy Spring Everybody!
Jen

Both the recipes are directly from Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book