I was asked to make cupcakes for my nephew's birthday, and I was excited to come up with a fun combination. My nephew turned 10 this year - I cannot believe how old he is!
Since my nephew loves chocolate cake, I chose a Martha Stewart Cupcakes recipe for Devil's Food and decided to pair it with Swiss Meringue Buttercream. This was a delicious combination.. the devil's food was moist and slightly tangy, while the buttercream was buttery and subtly sweet.
I also made a batch of sugar cookies with royal icing to decorate the cupcakes. (I used the same recipe from the previous blog post,) Since the party was Sponge Bob-themed, I chose a yellow coloring with white writing. For the birthday boy, there was a special Sponge Bob candle!
Devil's Food Cupcakes
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1-1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1-1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2-1/4 c. sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. sour cream, room temperature
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes (Mine took longer.. more like 10 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester in centers come out clean, about 20 minutes.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
5 large egg whites
1 c. plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff peaks form. Continue mixing until mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool, about 10 minutes.
3. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, whisk in vanilla. Switch to the paddle attachment, and continue beating on low speed until all air bubbles are eliminated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth.
Since then, I have seen the Executive Chef from El Rey on a local news show, making this exact recipe [Side note: Apparently these have been voted best hangover food in Philadelphia]. And, I have also seen Marcela Valladolid make it on her Food Network Show, Mexican Made Easy.
