Devil's Food Cupcakes (Baby Shower Test Run)

Can you tell I got a new 1M tip? haha, I had fun piping these!  The more classic swirls, where you start piping on the outside and move in, are in the back.  The rose like swirls are in the front.  First time doing these and I'm really pleased with how they looked.  It's pretty much the reverse, you pipe in the middle for a moment, and then start swirling out.  When you get towards the end release pressure but continue moving the piping bag around.  This prevents you from getting a hard ending point.

Because these are going to be for a baby shower, I went with a buttercream I could tint as opposed to the chocolate glaze that came with the original recipe.  I'll post the buttercream recipe at the end.  I liked this one a lot better than the one I made previously.  Still rich, but not sickeningly so.  Also easier to make in my opinion.

I got the blue color from blue food coloring with a dab of violet icing dye.  The blue food color always seems to have a slight teal tint to it, and the violet cancels this out nicely.  I got this tip from a blue velvet cupcake recipe I will hopefully be baking/posting soon.  Any specialty cooking store, such as Sur La Table, should have a nice selection of icing dyes.

My brother and his girlfriend had asked me to do their baby shower cupcakes, and of course a flavor I had never done was chosen, haha, so I felt required to do a test run to prevent a disaster filled evening the day of.  That and the cupcakes were chosen based on a picture I found, not an actual recipe, so I needed to make sure I could replicate that look as well.  The dark cake I assumed to be Devil's Food Cake, with a light blue buttercream frosting for a nice contrast.

I actually baked two types of Devil's Food Cake Recipes.  I do this whenever I don't have a favorite recipe to fall back on.  However there was a clear winner, so that is the recipe I will be posting.

These turned out very tasty.  Moist and chocolaty like a Devil's Food Cake should be, without being too messy.  I'm hoping they go over well at the baby shower!  I'll be making around 80, so wish me luck.  In the meantime my mom's work will be reaping the benefit of my test run.

Here's to not needing my own baby shower cupcakes for a looooong time. ;]



Devil's Food Cupcakes 
Adapted from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 large egg, room temp.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

~Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

~Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  I don't normally sift, but cocoa powder always clumps up for me.

~In a large bowl beat together the sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.  

~At this point add about 1/3 of your flour mixture, alternating with the water and buttermilk.  You should start and end this process with the flour mixture.  Beat just until combined.  Spoon your batter into your prepared muffin tins, no less than two-thirds full.

~Pop these in the oven and bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  (Mine needed the full 18 minutes this time around, but I did still check after 16.)

~Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

~Once cooled, top with frosting of your choice.  Enjoy and indulge in these chocolate goodies!

Basic Buttercream Frosting

C&H Recipe

Frosts 10-12 cupcakes

• 1 lb. box powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup butter (2/3 stick), room temp.

~Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  I'd recommend an electric mixer to start on this one, scraping the bowl often.  If it seems too stiff to spread or pipe easily, beat in milk a few drops at a time.

~To get the color of mine it took roughly 3-6 drops of blue food coloring, and a small dab of violet icing dye.  Less is more with this, you can always add more later!