This feels so overdue, even though the last time I baked was maybe a little over a week ago.
I need to get back to cupcakes totally from scratch. Even though I love the ease of a doctored boxed mix, there's nothing like a good old-fashioned, homemade from scratch, dessert. I also realized that I'm not the biggest fan of Devil's Food Cake. I prefer a denser cake, and devil's food is a little too fluffy for me. I like a cake that stands up to the frosting, where the frosting doesn't overpower it. Devil's food is just a little too fluffy for me I guess.
To each their own.
Anyways, I was really hoping for a snow day today, or at least a delay, but alas, we all braved the crazily slow-moving traffic this morning through the snow and slick slush and went to work. Granted, this was no major storm, but when people are arriving to work 20 minutes late because of traffic build up due to bad weather and student drivers, it just seems like a delay would've been useful. The one good thing about this first real winter "storm" is that I finally have a garage! No more cleaning my car off in the morning, only after work when needed. No stepping into the slush and puddles to get in and out of my car at home! Some of the joys of home ownership with a garage. I quickly stopped at the store after work today because I have a student's birthday tomorrow and grabbed a brownie mix and some frosted sugar cookies. The brownies are baking as I write this, and I'm enjoying a cupcake made last night.
I know, I'm actually eating one of my cupcakes....
This cupcake was a hit with Dan and a hit with co-workers, but not so much with me. The fluffiness of the cake and the heaviness of the frosting just didn't do it for me. Plus, and I knew this would be the outcome, the frosting is very grainy from the brown sugar in it. I knew it would be, but I guess I was just hoping I would like it, but I hate grainy frosting. I don't want to bite into a soft and delicious cupcake and then have to chew the sugar crystals in my frosting. I also wanted to make the frosting with a little bit of Bailey's in it, but the Bailey's bottle in the cabinet was empty. I certainly didn't empty it, and I don't think the dogs are imbibing while we're at work...
The Bailey's would've made it better...
Chocolate Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream
from Your Cup of Cake
1 box Devil's Food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp. milk or cream
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar (be sure there are no hard lumps in it!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 muffins pans with liners (my batch made 18 cupcakes).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla. Sift in the cake mix and stir to combine.
3. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for 17-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
4. For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
5. Add the vanilla and mix. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with the tablespoons of milk or cream, mixing well after each addition. If it's too thick, add more milk, if it's too thin add more sugar. Don't forget you will be adding the brown sugar.
6. Slowly add in brown sugar, stirring to combine.
7. Frost cupcakes and eat!
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