Growing up in Paris, I have fond memories of macarons, croissants and fresh baguettes as regular morning treats. Paris is filled with bakeries, or ‘boulangeries’ where bread is freshly made and can often be bought still warm from the oven. Certain things, however haven’t yet made it to our tables…and cupcakes are of those things. Sure, France has some of the most elaborate pastries around, but no authentic cupcakes to be found. There’s just something about a moist cakey cupcake with luscious sweet icing. It’s surely hard to beat. While I was living in New York last year, my near-obsession with cupcakes compelled me to wander into any cupcake store I could find. I always felt the slight irony of me wanting a simple heart-warming cupcake when I had spent the day making intricate meat dishes, homemade pasta or puff pastry from scratch at school.
All to say that posting a cupcake recipe was long overdue! I made a simple chocolate buttercream with a cocoa base this weekend and it turned out well. Next on my list is making orange-flavored buttercream. Mistake to be avoided would be: adding orange juice to buttercream as the acidity in the orange makes the icing curdle (I speak from experience here!).. so I will be making it with Grand Marnier and orange zest only. For now though, these all-chocolate cupcakes did the trick.
Recipe (batter adapted from the Barefoot Contessa)
Makes about 15 cupcakes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup of buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup good cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Frosting
1 stick of butter
1 3/4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.
Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Icing
Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the confectioners’ sugar little by little. Mix for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Add the cooled chocolate and vanilla extract and mix well until the chocolate is entirely incorporated. Ice the cupcakes as you please. Enjoy!
Once you have iced the cupcakes, it is best not to store them in the fridge to maintain the icing’s texture.
Enjoy the read!
cakewardrobe
October 27, 2008 at 12:45 pm (16 years ago)Since I’ve turned my kitchen to a science lab, though I hate wasting ingredients like butter, note to self, never put orange juice in buttercream! We have cupcakes you have macarons! I think I would rather have macarons since cupcakes are so much easier and less tedious to make. That looks delicious!
Maria
October 27, 2008 at 2:49 pm (16 years ago)Chocolate is my best friend. The cupcake is adorable!
Cakespy
October 27, 2008 at 5:13 pm (16 years ago)They look perfect–and your decorating is just impeccable!
Big Boys Oven
October 27, 2008 at 9:07 pm (16 years ago)wow! you cupcake looks so chic . .. . ,lovely and so adorable!
Mallory Elise
October 28, 2008 at 12:48 am (16 years ago)cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute. 🙂
My Sweet & Saucy
October 28, 2008 at 2:20 am (16 years ago)Delicious!
My Sweet & Saucy
October 28, 2008 at 2:20 am (16 years ago)Delicious!
My Sweet & Saucy
October 28, 2008 at 2:20 am (16 years ago)Delicious!
Deborah
October 28, 2008 at 5:53 am (16 years ago)Sometimes there is just nothing better than a cupcake!!
proofofthepudding
October 28, 2008 at 10:09 am (16 years ago)I feel like this is the perfect time of year for chocolate cupcakes! Don’t ask me why, but I feel like they are perfect for Halloween.
Ingrid
October 28, 2008 at 10:53 am (16 years ago)Love the ribbon tied around ’em…..so sweet!
Thanks for the tip regarding the acid in orange juice not mixing with buttercream. I imagine it’s the same with lemons, too?!
~ingrid
Erica
October 28, 2008 at 2:06 pm (16 years ago)These are beautiful- I love the ribbon tied around the bottom- what a great detail! Beautiful blog! And can I say, I dream of fresh bread every day!
Audrey
October 28, 2008 at 2:17 pm (16 years ago)oh, these look good. And so does the pear clafouti, which I want to try as soon as I make those scallops…
Audrey
Dawn
October 28, 2008 at 4:00 pm (16 years ago)Cupcakes as cute as these need a cute ribbon! Very cute!
Olga
October 28, 2008 at 10:28 pm (16 years ago)those cupcakes are just too cute!! no wonder you’ve won an award for your blog 🙂
Olga
October 28, 2008 at 10:30 pm (16 years ago)Those look absolutely adorable! No wonder you’ve won an award for your blog 🙂
Michelle
October 29, 2008 at 12:09 am (16 years ago)Looks delicious! I love the little ribbon as an added touch!
Michelle
Cakebrain
October 29, 2008 at 12:29 am (16 years ago)oh my! I love this recipe too! I use it all the time when I make chocolate cupcakes! Yours look so good!
Darius T. Williams
October 29, 2008 at 7:50 am (16 years ago)I mean really – how can anyone turn this down? This looks stunning!
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
Jacque
October 29, 2008 at 8:32 pm (16 years ago)That’s interesting about the lack of cupcakes in France. I didn’t know 🙂
Your cupcake is adorable and looks delish!
syrie
October 30, 2008 at 1:16 am (16 years ago)Lovely! they look perfect. I have a bit of an obsession with adding grand marnier to my chocolate recipes at the moment.
Maris
November 5, 2008 at 1:50 pm (15 years ago)your ribbon around that cupcake is one of THE most adorable things ive ever seen!!
Maris
November 5, 2008 at 1:52 pm (15 years ago)The ribbons tied around the little cupcakes just might be the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen!
Jamie
June 16, 2009 at 1:13 am (15 years ago)Completely understand! I live in France and started baking all of those wonderful, simple American goodies and treats for my family because I couldn’t (and still can’t) buy them here. This seems a great chocolate cupcake recipe.