One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Butter Cream

I am sad to say that I must discontinue the Muffin of the Week.I will still try to post a few muffins here and there, but I am just too busy to keep it up. My husband and I are getting ready to move again and for a week or two we will be at one of our parents’ houses. And then I start student teaching and I am pretty sure it is going to be hard enough just to get dinner on the table, let alone make muffins every week. So to say good-bye to my weekly muffin escapades, I decided to post a cup cake recipe. I know, it is not a muffin, but I had to make these for a cakewalk and I didn’t feel like making cupcakes and muffins on the same busy day. They were really yummy. I would eat them for breakfast, so I guess it counts, right?
Makes 2 Dozen
Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 C. Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2-1/2 C. sugar
• 2-1/2tsp baking soda
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 large whole eggs, plus large egg yolks
• 1-1/4 C. milk
• 1/2 C. plus 2 TBSP. vegetable oil
• 1-1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 C. warm water

Swiss Meringue Butter Cream

• 4 large egg whites
• 1-1/4 C. sugar
• 3 stick unsalted butter, room temp, cut into Table spoons
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, soda, powder, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, stir in the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla, and warm water.
2. Beat on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.
4. To make the frosting: in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly , until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Fit with the whisk attachment and beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled. About 6 minutes.

5. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. If it appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again (3-5 minutes more). Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Frost cooled cup cakes.
Note: This was a very yummy frosting. It wasn’t too sweet and it held its form in the heat. I think it would have still tasted fine with a little less butter, though. This is a good way to use up the leftover egg whites from the French style ice cream that I am going to feature during the month of August. This creamy ice cream calls for egg yolks and you will be looking for something to do with the left over egg whites.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook

More Cupcake recipes:

• Butterfinger Cupcakes
• Pink Velvet Cupcakes
• Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes
• Pineapple Cupcakes