The Last Two

This week I helped to host a baby shower for a sweet friend from church. This is the third baby *boy* shower that I've helped to host recently. I think there must be a *boy boom* going on at our church!

For each of these showers I've baked these wonderful (and easy....shhh, don't tell!) chocolate cupcakes. They taste like yummy ones from a professional bakery to me. I was gazing wistfully at the last two left this morning--I really want to eat them, but then there would be no more.

Anyway, I thought I would share this wonderful recipe and also one for the yummy frosting I've used:

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder

(Hershey's Special Dark is delicious!)

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbls. vegetable oil

1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and warm water. Beat on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes; scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes, until cake tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool and frost. **This recipe says it makes 24, but with my standard muffin pans, I actually get 32-33.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup stick butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbls. milk

Mix powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth and spreadable. **This recipe must be doubled for the cupcakes above.

ENJOY!

To read about more treasures and fun things, go to There Is No Place Like Home for Kelli's Show & Tell.