I wish I could tell you I was celebrating someone's birthday... that would have been a much better excuse to bake a batch of cupcakes. But if I'm totally transparent, I was simply craving cake. But specifically Birthday Cake.
If you would indulge me... harken back to your childhood for a moment. You're attending a birthday party or perhaps a little elementary school celebration. What's on the dessert table? Undoubtedly you'll find that classic yellow cake with fudgy chocolate frosting. Because, well, who doesn't like the classics? And the cupcakes are always adorned with a shower of rainbow sprinkles. Am I right?
I'll bet more often than not most reach for the box of yellow cake mix and tub of chocolate frosting on the grocery store shelf. And that's perfectly okay. But if you're willing to devote just a few extra minutes, your efforts will be rewarded. I promise!
This chocolate frosting in particular really floats my boat. Rather than a typical buttercream, make a chocolate ganache and whip until fluffy. I find the key is the balance of flavor. I like to use a combination of milk and semi-sweet chocolates... milk for that nostalgic, birthday cake vibe and semi to temper the sweetness. To amp up the chocolate flavor, add a pinch of salt and a bit of instant espresso powder. Just be mindful, because the frosting is in essence a ganache, if stored in the fridge, it will firm up pretty quickly. Serve your cupcakes at room-temp to ensure your chocolate frosting is delightfully creamy and fluffy.
And, hey, I was going to list the sprinkles as "optional" on the ingredient list. But who am I kidding?! Sprinkles are an absolute necessity for Birthday Cake Cupcakes.
Birthday Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
· 1 ½ stick butter, softened
· 1 cup sugar
· 2 eggs
· 1 egg yolk
· Yellow food coloring
· 1 ½ cups flour
· ½ tsp baking powder
· ¼ tsp baking soda
· ¼ tsp salt
· ½ cup whole milk
· 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the chocolate frosting
· 8oz milk chocolate, chopped
· 4oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
· 1 cup cream
· ¼ tsp instant espresso powder
· Pinch of salt
· Rainbow sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350F.
For the cupcakes…Cream butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl periodically. The mix may appear a bit curdled, but that’s okay. Keep beating until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a small measuring cup, whisk together the milk and vanilla.
Add one-third of the flour mixture into the stand mixer on low speed. Add one-half of the milk mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, alternating each and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
Line a muffin pan with parchment baking cups. Grease the parchment cups with nonstick spray. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes too cool slightly in the pan before transferring each of the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.
For the frosting… While the cupcakes bake, combine the chocolate, cream, espresso, and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of shallow, simmering water. Ensure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Melt the chocolate over the waterbath. Continue to stir the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
Transfer the bowl of chocolate ganache to the fridge and chill for about 1-2 hours until the mixture has become more firm but still pliable. You should be able to easily drag your finger through the ganache.
Once ready to frost the cupcakes…transfer the ganache to the bowl of a standmixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high until the ganache is whipped and fluffy. Do not refrigerate the frosting before decorating the cupcakes – otherwise it will become quite firm.
Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, dollop a large spoonful of the chocolate frosting onto the top of each cupcake. Using a pallet knife or butter knife, artfully swirl and smooth the frosting to cover the top of the cupcake. Decorate with rainbow sprinkles.
After frosting, if you must refrigerate the cupcakes, allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving. Otherwise, enjoy immediately!
Makes 1 dozen cupcakes
GF Friendly
Gluten Free Friendly!
I had greatest success with Better Batter and Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend.
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