BANANA CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Here’s a really great, easy recipe for chocolate cupcakes.  You don’t even need to get your mixer out, because these are mixed like muffins, with one quick mix by hand. 



Full of flavor, very light and moist, this one is a definite winner!  The banana flavor comes through, but in a background sort of way.  It leads the applause for the chocolate.  The only problem is that the batter is more than enough for 12 standard-size cupcakes.  I used two (6-oz.) ramekins for the extra batter, and got two over-sized cupcakes for a total of 14 cupcakes.  I’ll be making these again.

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes Adapted from Joy of Baking Rating:  10 out of 10

Click for PRINTABLE PAGE INGREDIENTS: 1 cup granulated white sugar (I ground this in my food processor for superfine sugar) 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, lightly spooned and swept 1/3 cup unsweetened natural or Dutch cocoa powder (I used Dutch.) 3/4 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt  (You can substitute table salt.) 1 large egg 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 1 medium-sized banana) 1/4 cup warm water 1/4 cup warm coffee 1/4 cup plain or vanilla-flavored non-fat Greek yogurt 1/4 cup vegetable, corn or canola oil 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract  (I used my homemade vanilla.) Heat oven to 350F (180C) and place rack in center of oven.  Line 12 standard-sized muffin cups with paper liners, or spray each cup with nonstick vegetable spray.  Set out two (6-oz) greased ramekins and line each with two wax paper circles cut to fit the bottoms.  In large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients:  sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a second large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients:  egg, mashed banana, water, coffee, yogurt, oil and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir or whisk till combined.  Do not overbeat.  Pour or scoop batter into muffin cups and ramekins, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake 15-18 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in center returns with just a few crumbs.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.  Frost with Double Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, Chocolate Mint Buttercream Frosting, White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting , or one of your own favorites.

100% WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

We need to sneak in whole grains wherever we can, and chocolate cupcakes make that easy.  While the finished product may be a tad coarser in texture than a cupcake made with all-purpose flour, they’re still light and moist.  And no one is the wiser…..unless you tell them.  You can make these even healthier by using a sugar substitute and nonfat Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.  Every little bit helps.

100% Whole Wheat Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Adapted from Cook’s Country TV Rating:  9.5 out of 10 Click  for PRINTABLE PAGE

CUPCAKES: 1 cup white whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup boiling water 1/3 cup good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. instant coffee (decaf is okay) 3/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute; I used 1/2 cup sugar+ 1 Tbsp. NuNaturals Stevia) 1/2 cup regular or lite sour cream (or nonfat Greek yogurt) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I used homemade) Heat oven to 350F.  Set out a 12-cup muffin tin and line with paper cups.  In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside. In large bowl, combine and stir 1/2 cup boiling water and bittersweet chocolate till chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Stir in cocoa powder, instant coffee and sugar.  Whisk in sour cream, oil eggs and vanilla till smooth and well mixed.  Gently stir in flour mixture with spoon or spatula, taking care to not over mix.  Divide batter among paper  cups, using about 1/4 cup for each.  Bake about 16-18 minutes, or  till a toothpick inserted in center returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.  When cool, frost with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and dust with shaved bittersweet chocolate.  Yield:  12 cupcakes  (These freeze well.)

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM CUPCAKES WITH COCOA MASCARPONE FROSTING

Wondering what to do with a half container of mascarpone, I decided to make these fabulous chocolate cupcakes and top them with cocoa mascarpone frosting.  The cupcakes are deeply chocolate and very moist, yet light and almost fluffy.  The frosting is creamy, mildly chocolate and rich – a perfect complement for the not-too-sweet cupcakes.  They freeze beautifully, but be warned they will beckon you from the freezer.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Cocoa Mascarpone Frosting Adapted from Cook’s Country TV’s Chocolate Cream Cupcakes Rating:  9 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

CUPCAKES:  1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. hot brewed coffee (I used decaf) 2 Tbsp. coffee liqueur 1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. NuNaturals Stevia) 1/2 cup sour cream or lite sour cream (I used lite) 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I used HOMEMADE) Heat oven to 325F.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease and flour.  In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  In large bowl, whisk together coffee, liqueur, cocoa powder and chocolate chips till smooth.  Add sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk till well combined.  Whisk in flour mixture until incorporated.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup for each.  Bake until toothpick inserted into cupcake returns with just a few crumbs, 16-19 minutes.  Cool cupcakes in tins 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.  (Note:  if using liners, cupcakes may be transferred to wire rack immediately.)  COCOA MASCARPONE FROSTING:  4 oz. Mascarpone, room temperature 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, Dutch or natural 4 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream, chilled 1-1/2 tsp. VANILLA POWDER or vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. coffee essence (equal parts of instant coffee and coffee liqueur) 2-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar In medium bowl, combine Mascarpone, butter and cocoa.  Beat with electric mixer on medium speed till well combined and smooth.  Add cream and flavorings and beat till incorporated.  Gradually add sugar and beat on high till fluffy and smooth.  Spoon into piping bag and chill before frosting cupcakes. Yield:  enough to frost 12 standard cupcakes

A TALE OF TWO CUPCAKES

My hubby’s not big on desserts.  There are a few faves, though, that he can’t resist.  One is chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  I decided to try two different but similar recipes to see which was the better:  Hershey’s Especially Dark Chocolate Cake & Frosting, and Martha Stewart’s “the best…One-Bowl Chocolate Cake.”
Martha has substituted buttermilk for regular milk in her recipe, which is an adaptation of  Hershey’s old-time recipe.  She’s also bumped up the cocoa and baking soda and reduced the oil, sugar, baking powder and vanilla.  Instead of using boiling water in the batter, Martha uses warm water and it gets mixed in with the other ingredients, instead of at the end.  I wanted to try Martha’s recipe for chocolate frosting, but I had enough of the Especially Dark Chocolate Frosting left over to frost the second batch of cupcakes. 

Hershey’s cake is moist, light and chocolatey and the frosting is perfect.   The cupcakes, which remind me a little of the old-time chocolate Tasty-Kakes, got rave reviews all around from my taste testers.  Here is a photo of Hershey’s cake, with the inside, as you can see, almost black, and note how high and nicely crowned the cupcake is:

Martha’s cake is moister and more chocolatey with a hint of fudginess without truly being fudgy.  I would pick Martha’s cake as the winner, except for two things:  if you want cupcakes, as I did, you will be disappointed in the way the batter rises, then collapses.  You will have to pile on the frosting to cover up the sink hole, and I usually frost cupcakes lightly.  Secondly, it’s hard to figure out how much batter to use for each cupcake to keep it from spreading over the rim.  For these two reasons, I can’t give this recipe a high rating.
Here is a photo of Martha’s cupcake, not as dark, but with a hint of fudginess and slightly moister than Hershey’s.  With a lot of frosting to cover the sink hole, no one is the wiser. 

Bottom Line:  Go for Hershey’s recipe.  It’s easy, it’s foolproof, and it’s a real winner in taste and texture.  You’ll get a nice highly crowned cupcake that looks as pretty as it tastes.

Especially Dark Chocolate Cake and Frosting Adapted from Hershey’s Rating:  9.5 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup superfine sugar (pulse granulated sugar in food processor, then remeasure) 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into cup 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp. sea salt 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1 large egg 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. coffee essence (equal parts of instant coffee granules + coffee liqueur) my addition 1/2 cup boiling water Set out all ingredients an hour ahead of baking time to bring them to room temperature.  Heat oven to 350F.  Set out a 12-cup muffin tin; line with paper baking cups. In large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla and coffee essence and beat on lowest speed of mixer till combined, then beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom.  Stir in water to make a thin batter.  Divide batter evenly among baking cups, using about 1/4 cup per cupcake.  Bake about 14-16 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool in pans a few minutes, then transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.  Place cooled cupcakes in freezer for about 10 minutes to make it easier to frost them.  Especially Dark Chocolate Frosting Adapted from Hershey’s Rating 9.5 out of 10 INGREDIENTS: 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, melted 1/3 cup Special Dark cocoa 1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar 2-3 Tbsp. milk, regular or light (I  used lite coconut milk) 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 tsp. coconut flavored rum (optional, my addition) Combine butter and cocoa in medium bowl.  Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat till smooth on medium speed of electric mixer.  Add 1 Tbsp. milk and the flavorings and beat till smooth.  Repeat with sugar and milk twice more.  Adjust frosting to make it of desired spreading consistency by adding more milk if it’s too thick, or more sugar if it’s too thin.  Beat on high speed for several minutes till frosting is whipped.  Frost cupcakes or cake immediately, or refrigerate frosting till reading to use it.  Refrigerate leftovers for several weeks, or freeze.  Yield:  enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or one 2-layer cake.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Adapted from marthastewart.com Rating:  6 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. natural unsweetened cocoa powder 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 + 1/8 tsp. baking powder 1/4 + 1/8 tsp. sea salt 1 large egg 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. buttermilk (or add 1 tsp. white vinegar to regular milk, let stand 15 min.) 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. warm water 1-1/2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Set out all ingredients one hour ahead of baking to bring to room temperature.  Heat oven to 350F.  Set out a 12-cup cupcake tin and line with 11 paper liners.  (Martha says this makes one dozen, but I got 10 cupcakes.)  Sift into medium bowl cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  With electric mixer on lowest speed, mix till combined.  Add egg, buttermilk, water, oil, and vanilla.  Stir to combine, then beat on medium speed till smooth, about 3 minutes.  (My batter was smooth well before 3 minutes, so I only beat the batter about 1-1/2 minutes.) Divide batter evenly among baking cups, using a little less than 1/4 cup each.  Do not fill to the top, as the batter puffs up, then sinks, and you will have cupcake collapsing over the sides.  You only want the batter to rise up to the top, not over.  Therefore, fill the cups almost 2/3 full.  You can see in the photo below that I filled the cups a little higher, and note that when they sank, they spread.  I had to cut the excess off the cupcake before I frosted them.  I’m theorizing there’s enough extra batter in the rims for one more cupcake, not 2, but I could be wrong.  Bake 14-16 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Let cool in pan a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Place cooled cupcakes in freezer about 10 minutes to facilitate frosting.  Yield:  11-12 cupcakes

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER ICING

Here’s a dessert that’s sure to please almost everyone.  Moist, tender, velvety and not-too-sweet chocolate cupcakes are topped with fluffy peanut butter frosting.  Buttermilk and sour cream make the cupcakes tender and moist; coffee and brown sugar enhance the chocolate flavor; and the peanut butter icing is creamy, sweet and delicious. 

Ina Garten always uses extra-large eggs, but I subbed large eggs with no adverse effects.  I also cut some of the fat and sugar out, but no one could tell.  The thick batter doesn’t rise a lot in the oven, so the cups can be filled almost to the top.  Garnish the tops with chopped salted peanuts and a grated chocolate bar.  Now just pour yourself a big glass of milk; sit back and enjoy these delectable treats.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing Adapted  from Barefoot Contessa at Home Rating:  9.5 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature  (I used Smart Balance 50/50 blend) 2/3 cup sugar (I used 2 Tbsp. +  2 tsp. NuNaturals Stevia) 2/3 cup brown sugar 2 extra-large eggs (I used 2 large eggs) 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 cup low-fat milk + 1 Tbsp. white vinegar) 1/2 cup sour cream (I used lite sour cream) 2 Tbsp. coffee 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour + 3/4 cup King Arthur white whole wheat flour) 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 cup applesauce Heat oven to 350F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners (12 standard cupcakes, 12 mini cupcakes). In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on high speed till light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Lower speed to medium; add eggs 1 at a time.  In separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.  In another bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  On low speed, add buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix only until blended.  Stir in applesauce.  Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended. Divide batter among cupcake pans, filling each cup almost to the top.  Bake standard cupcakes about 16 minutes; minis about 13 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool 10 minutes in pan; then turn out on wire rack to finish cooling. Frost each cupcake with peanut butter icing and sprinkle with chopped salted peanuts and/or a grated chocolate bar. Peanut Butter Icing 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 1 cup creamy peanut butter 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (I used Smart Balance 50/50 blend) 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/3 - 1/2 cup heavy cream Place sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in bowl of electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as you work.  Add cream gradually, using only enough to make frosting the desired consistency. Beat on high speed until mixture is light and smooth.

SOUTHERN LIVING’S CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Last July, I posted about Southern Living's wonderful vanilla cupcakes.  This cupcake is their chocolate variation of that recipe; and it’s moist, tender and has good chocolate flavor.  I filled 12 standard cupcake cups and 3 (4-1/2”) springform pans with the batter. 

Everything was frosted with vanilla cream cheese frosting.  Half the cupcakes were sprinkled with toasted coconut and half received red shot (sprinkles).  The little cakes were split in half to make two (3-layer) cakes.  Any of these would be a nice Valentine’s Day (or any day) treat.

Chocolate Cupcakes Adapted from Southern Living Rating:  9.5 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: 2 cups sugar 1 cup butter, softened 3 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. almond extract (I used coffee essence*) 2 cups cake flour (I used White Lily all-purpose low-protein flour) 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp. white vinegar) 1/3 cup hot coffee (or water) *Coffee essence:  Mix equal parts instant coffee granules and coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua.  Use as flavoring for cookies and cakes.) Heat oven to 350F (325F for dark or coated pans).  Line cupcake tins with paper cups.  Grease and flour cake pans (if using).  In large bowl, beat sugar and butter on medium speed till creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Add flavorings with last egg.  In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and cocoa together.  Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and only mixing till just combined on low speed.  Stir in hot coffee till smooth.  Use batter immediately to fill 2 dozen standard-size cupcake cups (or 1 dozen cups + 3 (4-1/2”) pans).  Bake 20-25 minutes for standard  cupcakes, 25-30 minutes for little cake pans, or till a wooden pick inserted near center returns with just a few crumbs.  Cool in pans about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.  Frost as desired.  (Vanilla cream cheese frosting is perfect for these.)

MIKE DOUGLAS' BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Mike Douglas was a TV personality in the 60's and 70's, for all you young'ns out there. He was an avid cook, and even penned a cookbook. This recipe was printed in a magazine in the 60's. I added some "coffee essence" to it to bring out the chocolate flavor. Instead of cake, I made cupcakes, and used a half recipe. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. These are not the best chocolate cupcakes I've ever had, but they're good.

Mike Douglas' Buttermilk Chocolate Cake, adapted
Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 large eggs, room temperature, yolk and white separated
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1-1/4 cups cake flour, sifted, spooned lightly into cup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coffee essence (mix equal parts of instant coffee with coffee liqueur)

Heat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed of electric mixer. Add egg yolks and melted chocolate. Beat well.

Sift together flour, soda and salt in small bowl. Add alternately to creamed mixture with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla and coffee essence. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Spoon into cupcake liners, dividing batter evenly. Bake 16-18 minutes, or till toothpick inserted near center of cupcake returns with just a few crumbs. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling, about 1 hour. Frost with favorite frosting. (SL's Chocolate Mint Buttercream Frosting is delicious on these.) Yield: 12 cupcakes

SPECIAL DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Diana Rattray, About.com is the source of this great cupcake recipe. The only thing I changed was to add a little coffee flavoring to complement the chocolate. You'll get a dozen standard-size cupcakes from this recipe, and you'll have a hard time keeping them around, especially if you frost them with chocolate sour cream frosting. These are nice and chocolatey, moist, flavorful and just super yummy. The recipe doesn't state which cocoa powder to use, probably meaning that natural was used. I opted to use Hershey's Special Dark, which is a combination of natural and Dutched cocoas. Although nothing can ever compare with the Chocolate Guinness Cake that I made last week, these are really, really good. But, be aware, these are the full Monty -- no shortcuts here to save calories or fat. Remember moderation -- if you can.

Special Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Source: About.com

Rating: 9 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tsp. instant coffee granules

1/4 cup Smart Balance Butter Blend or butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream (I used lite.)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine boiling water, coffee granules, Smart Balance Butter Blend or butter, sugar and cocoa. Beat on low speed until sugar is dissolved. Add sifted dry

ingredients alternately with the beaten egg, sour cream and vanilla. Evenly distribute batter among 12 cupcake cups, filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake 17-22 minutes, or till a wooden pick inserted near center returns with just a

few crumbs. Frost with your favorite frosting. Yield: 12 standard size cupcakes.

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