Cutecakes

I made these cupcakes for Oscar's Valentine's Day party, which is happening today:

They are chocolate cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting and a jelly candy heart on top.  They are pretty much the most amazing cupcakes anyone has or will ever eat in the history of the universe.  These cupcakes are so good, I want to be buried with them.  If there were a way to marry food, these cupcakes and I would be wed.  They are good, oh so good.

So, anyways, since these bad boys (girls?) are the best thing to eat on or off of this planet, I though I'd share the recipe so you can go forth and make these amazing cupcakes and be forever revered by your families/co-workers/child's preschool classmates.  

Best Chocolate Cake in the History of the Universe

from the back of the Hersey's Cocoa container

2 cups sugar (I know)

1-3/4 cups unbleached, all purpose flour

3/4 cups powdered cocoa 

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

2 teaspoons good quality vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Heat your oven to 350.  You should get an over thermometer so you can make sure the temperature is correct because if you over cook these cupcakes, they will be crumbly and get a crust on the edges and not be very moist.

Line muffin tins with papers and spray papers with non-stick spray (to prevent sticking, duh) or grease and flour two 9-inch cake rounds.

Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix on medium for about two minutes. 

Once batter is well blended, stir in boiling water.  The batter will be thin.

Pour batter into papered, greased, cupcake tins.  Fill each cup about 3/4 full.  

Bake cupcakes for 22-25 minutes (22 minutes, really, no more that that) or for 30-35 minutes for the cake rounds (NO MORE THAN 30, seriously).

Cool completely and frost.

Makes about 30 cupcakes or one double-layer cake.

Now, I usually use chocolate frosting as I'm a big fan of chocolate on chocolate when it comes to my desserts, but because these were for Valentine's Day I decided to do something pink, hence the strawberry cream cheese frosting.

Strawberry Cream Cheesing Frosting

adapted from A Spicy Perspective 

8 ounces cold cream cheese

1-1/4 cups butter, at room temperature

4 tablespoons of reduced sugar strawberry jam

3 or more cups of confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon good quality vanilla.

Cream together the cream cheese and butter until well blended.  Add the jam and mix until well blended.  Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing after each cup.  After the third cup, add more as desired for consistency. Stir in vanilla.

After frosting cupcakes, add jelly hearts, sprinkles, or nothing.  Enjoy.  

Try not to eat more than five in one day.  

Lets look at them one more time:

Now, stop drooling and get baking.