Yes. These sweet little cupcakes look like my Blackout Chocolate Cake and Buttercream… They are like doppelgängers, but good, not evil. Ok, maybe they are evil in what they could do to the waistline if you eat too many which is completely a concern with how rich, tender, sweet and amazing these black chocolate cuppies are. So I take it all back. They ARE doppelgängers.
I digress. I have a confession about me and cupcakes. We hate each other (until recently) and we typically don’t get along once the oven gets involved. My batters are always delicious and looking as a batter should. I know my methods and techniques and formulations. But I have rarely found a recipe that I like after it comes out of the oven. Too dry. Too dense. Too flavorless. Too crumbly. Too spongy.
I’m picky. I look for perfection in all things cake and it’s hard to satisfy me. But it always ends in great recipes, so I take the struggle and frustration with my cupcake recipes in stride. Something wonderful will come from it all.
I’ve tried my Blackout Chocolate Cake recipe as cupcakes and just like my Perfect Vanilla Cake it just isn’t meant for small cupcakes. And that’s totally cool with me. I don’t believe in one size fits all because no matter what, you end up compromising somewhere. And because I’m a curvy gal who knows first hand that “One Size Fits NOT ME”. *sigh*
Nothing is truly perfect all around for everything you need - and different recipes for different needs is the best way to go so you always end up with exactly what you want and need for your cake project. A cupcake consistency should not be what you’re carving for a gravity defying cake. Likewise, a dense pound-cake style layer cake should not be a cupcake (unless it’s a wedding cuppie meant to go with a wedding cake… Then I’m good with a denser cuppie.)
So let’s talk about these deep, dark, sultry, sexy cupcakes and frosting. First, let me say that this is a frosting, not a buttercream. What is the difference? Well, it depends on who you ask. And since you’re here, I will make the bold assumption that it’s my opinion that you may be looking for