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Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I wanted to make some cupcakes for my grandfather's 96th birthday this weekend so I made these. I was more interested in the frosting so I just made the Yellow Cupcake recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. I did a half batch and used lowfat milk instead.

Stacey's Altered Yellow Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/3c unbleached white flour, organic
2 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick softened butter, unsalted, organic
3/4 + 2 tbs sugar, organic
2 eggs, organic
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
3/4c lowfat (2% milk), organic

15 cupcake liners
cupcake pan

Preheat the oven to 350F. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer until fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. Beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the milk. Beat in 1/2 of the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk.  Beat in the last portion of the flour mixture.  Using a cupcake scooper or spoons, fill the cupcake liners in the pan about 2/3 full.  Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, rotating once at the halfway point. Makes 15 cupcakes.

Stacey's Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
2 oz scharffen-berger unsweetened
2c powdered sugar
2 tbs milk (pour milk into powdered sugar a little at a time)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
dash salt

mini chocolate chips
turbinado sugar, organic

I waited until the cupcakes were cool, and then I softened the butter in microwave.  I added milk to the powdered sugar and mixed with my standing mixer with whisk attachment. Then I melted the chocolate in microwave on 30 second intervals stirring in between, until it was all melted. I added the softened butter to powdered sugar mixture and mixed until fluffy. Then I added the melted chocolate, put in a dash of salt, and mixed until combined and fluffy. I spread the frosting immediately on the cupcakes.

I put mini chocolate chips in small sauce bowl (a little larger than the size of a cupcake). Then, I dipped the frosted cupcakes into the bowl, and sprinkled with a little turbinado sugar for a little crunch.


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