Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

I love  making cupcakes.  To make a delicious cupcake one must balance a perfect cake to icing ratio. There can’t be too much icing because then it will over power the cake and the cake must be a good mix of chocolate and moistness. If the cake is dry it won’t leave a good taste in the mouth. Here’s a fantastic cake recipe that I’ve used over the last 5 years.  Wilton’s “Cupcake Fun” book (above) is great for teaching and creating exciting icing techniques. Enjoy!

3 squares unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup margarine

11/2 granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

Place 3 squares (1oz. or 28 grams each) unsweetened chocolate in small glass bowl. Pour 1 cup boiled water over them to soften, stir until melted and set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream half cup (125 ml) of hard margarine and 1 and a half cups of granulated sugar. Beat in 3 large eggs, one at a time. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well. In a separate, medium-size bowl: stir together 2 and 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 1 and a half teaspoons of baking soda and half a teaspoon salt. Add this flour mixture of dry ingredients in three parts, alternately with 1 cup of sour cream in two parts… to the margarine and eggs in the large bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and stir well. Pour into two, buttered layer cake pans or lined muffin tins- makes about 22 cupcakes. Bake at 350 f in the oven on middle shelf for 25-30 mins. Test for doneness with wooden toothpick in the center- should come out clean (not coated with uncooked batter).