Sweet Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

Baking doesn’t have to be a complicated process.  Does it?  No, it doesn’t.  Sometimes you should just pick a recipe out of your tried-and-true recipe box and make a sweet treat without over-thinking it.  That’s exactly what I did when I made these chocolate cupcakes.  My mind had settled on something chocolaty, and something that I knew I was comfortable baking.  No new recipes, just tried-and-true.

Sweet Chocolate Cupcakes

1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. margarine, softened

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. espresso powder

2 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. sour milk

1/2 c. hot water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Line 1 to 1 1/2dozen cupcake cups with cupcake papers.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, add butter, sugar, eggs, and melted chocolate chips. Mix until completely blended with electric mixer. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder, and cocoa; mix again. Add flour, milk and hot water; mix thoroughly. Add vanilla; beat again until batter is light and fluffy.

Fill cupcake papers about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Remove from oven and cool on bakers rack.

Baker’s note: This is a thin cupcake batter, but don’t worry, the cupcakes will turn out just fine.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

1 c. heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp. chocolate pudding mix

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place ingredients in a chilled bowl and beat on high until cream thickens.  Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.  Keep cupcakes in refrigerator prior to serving.

If you’d like to see what these cupcakes look like on the inside, check out this link.  I  have posted these cupcakes before, but the last time I made them I added cinnamon, and eliminated the espresso powder.  I also frosted them with a buttercream icing that favored a hint of cinnamon.

What’s the last tried-and-true recipe you made?

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