Craving Chocolately Cupcakes? These Are Hand-Mix!!!

Don't mind the Suzy's Zoo cupcake wrappers, sometimes you just have to use what you've got.

The Crave of Cupcakes is reaching all areas around here and even specialty bakeries are opening that just sell cupcakes. Big ones, small ones and ones of many, many flavors. I made these because it is easy to wrap and freeze and then I don't have an entire cake sitting there tempting me.

They are pretty chocolatey and I love the comments from Williams-Sonoma.

"There are two secrets to these cupcakes. They get their rich, extra-chocolaty flavor from a combination of unsweetened cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate, and their soft, moist texture from a simple hand-mixing method."

Hand-mixing? Even better for me!

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
11 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate or vanilla buttercream for frosting cupcakes

Grated chocolate for garnish (optional)

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and set over but not touching simmering water in a saucepan; stir frequently until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let the chocolate mixture cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until combined. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Gently fold in the flour mixture just until no traces of flour remain; do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream, garnish with grated chocolate and serve. (The frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.) Makes 12 cupcakes.

Adapted from Cupcakes, by Shelly Kaldunski (Weldon Owen, 2008).

I cooled, frosted, then let the frosting set up a bit. Froze individually in the freezer (about 20 minutes), THEN wrapped in plastic wrap.