chocolate*cupcakes

What could be better? Yesterday was a day that needed a little something special. I had committed to making over 2 dozen cupcakes for a school event, and the timing was perfect. By afternoon, the house smelled heavenly and my daughter and I had so much fun decorating. Piping on the frosting made it extra thrilling, if not messy. I added more milk to the recipe linked below to create a lighter and fluffier consistency that was just right.

 I'm not so big on candy... so you can you imagine how over the moon my little girl was when she saw that I had pink and purple sugary decorations for the top! Must break my own rules some of the time... keeps things exciting.


How do you like my food photography trick for a dark winter afternoon? I ran outside with the plate and let the snow be a natural light reflector!

I'm pretty sure I've linked it before, but just in case... the is the best chocolate/cupcake recipe EVER!  It's the original Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake that we've been making in my family ever since I was a tiny girl. It's the ultimate birthday cake and makes divine little cupcakes, too. I double the  chocolate buttercream frosting recipe that comes with it and often use Ghiradelli cocoa instead.

I was a professional baker during my college years. This recipe became the foundation for many variations of double and triple layer chocolate cakes. Here are the two simple favorites that sold out instantly:

-Chocolate Raspberry Bliss- In between each layer, spread raspberry preserves on top of the frosting. Top off the entire cake with fresh raspberries.

-Mocha Madness- Add a bit of espresso to taste to the frosting. It's one little step, but completely transforms it something more sophisticated. Decorate with chocolate covered espresso beans.

***Have a sweet day!***