For a Goodtime...Call These Stuffed Cupcakes!

Yes! These Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Mini Chocolate Chips are actually STUFFED to the gills with either Vanilla (on the top) or Mint (on the bottom) Buttercream Frosting! They are some of the most decadent cupcakes I have made yet...they just look and taste so....phat! The vanilla ones...they are so creamy and gooey that you have to use the back of your hand to get all the frosting off your lips! And, the mint ones are heavenly...by far the most favorite in our crowd of tasters today...I say that because there aren't any more mint ones left to taste. So, don't drop by today for one of the mint ones...I'm not kidding, there just aren't anymore mint...

Two or three tasters tried them out early on today and then John, one of the kids, dropped by this afternoon right on cupcake cue, and picked up two mint cupcakes, one for someone he likes...Hi, Kate...and one for her friend...so cute! Then, Catherine, one of the other kids, took two home to share with her dinner date tonight...Hi Robe...and we haven't even heard from James and Amanda yet...n e waz...as I was trying to talk about my frosting and how I usually make my mint frosting pink, but this time I daringly tried green because I thought it would be cool...I have to admit that I did fool around with purple food coloring, too, but that frosting looked just plan nasty, not at all like summer...in fact, it sucked, what was I thinking?

These cupcakes are so fat that by the time you're done with them that you will need and knife and fork to eat them. I did make some mini ones, too, that were just bite-sized and about right for one huge mouth full! I used the Chocolate Sour Cream recipe below, and at the end, I folded in...I can't believe that I just typed that...folded in, I mean...a year ago I didn't even know what that meant :)... 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter just before pouring the batter into the cupcake liners. Then, after the cupcakes cooled off, I gently sliced off the tops...btw...while they were baking, as I said, I made the buttercream frosting....both vanilla and green mint...it's really a hard recipe to mess up. Then, I got out my trusty Williams Sonoma decorating thinggie that my sister gave me for Christmas (my favorite holiday)...you just put the frosting in it and push the plunger...the tube is metal...and you can put on any decorating tip you want...I always seem to use the biggiest round one I can find...I think it's #12.
Here's a shot of one cupcake cut open. As you can see, I just cut the cupcakes in half horizontally and piled on the frosting for the middle section. Then I put the cupcake's lid back on and schulged a lot of frosting on the top, too.

Well, why not? What else was I going to do with the frosting. I'm thinking of investing in confectioner's sugar...today I bought a 7 lb bag at Sam's Club! WOW! I've never bought a bag that big...where will it all lead? And, now you know who one of the morning tasters was....me! If you haven't ever tried a mint chocolate cupcake for breakfast, you don't know what you're missing...it was pretty damn fine! I know you can make it...just go do it!

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
Yield:12 servings

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water

1. Place oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cupcake cups with paper liners. Place chocolate in heatproof bowl or top of double boiler and place over (but not touching) saucepan of barely simmering water (or bottom of double boiler). Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from water and set aside to cool slightly.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3.In large bowl, using electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape sides with rubber spatula. On slow speed, mix in melted chocolate. On medium speed, add eggs 1 at a time, mixing until each is blended into batter. Add vanilla and beat until mixture is creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream until no white streaks remain. On low speed, add half of flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in water. Mix in remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and batter looks smooth.

4.Fill each paper-lined cup with about 1/3 cup batter, to just below top of liner. Make just until tops feel firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes 10 minutes in pan on wire rack.

5.Use small knife to loosen any tops that might have stuck to tops of pan. Carefully place wire rack on top of cupcakes in pan. Protecting hands with potholders and holding pan and rack together, invert them to release cupcakes onto wire rack. Turn cupcakes top side up to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from “Cupcakes!” by Elinor Klivans (Chronicle, $16.95)

Billy's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough for 30 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency. You can save this frosting for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

2. At this point you can separate out a portion of the frosting to make some mint or whatever flavor appeals to you!

Hope you enjoy getting stuffed!

~CQ