Today is one of the Best. Days. Ever. It’s National Chocolate Cupcake Day! Seriously, a whole day devoted to the chocolate cupcake?! HEAVEN!! Count me in! You know I’m hungry!
Have you ever wondered how the cupcake got its name? Honestly, me neither but it is pretty interesting! I did not know that the cupcake had such a history! All the way back in 1796, Amelia Simmons mentioned them in the first ever cookbook written by an American, “American Cookery.” She referred to them as “cake to be baked in small cups.” The name cupcake officially stuck with 1828 Eliza Leslie‘s cookbook “Receipts” and chefs starting baking the cakes in pottery cups. Their size closely resembled teacups so “cupcake” made perfect sense!
So, grab a cupcake – chocolate, of course! – peel back the foil or paper, and get down to business! Just don’t forget the napkins to wipe the frosting off your upper lip. You missed a spot. There, you got it. 🙂
Chocolate Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free milk
Frosting:
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fat-free milk
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare cupcakes, beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with 1/2 cup milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.
3. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back easily when touched lightly in the center. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and chopped chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and cool. Stir in the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread frosting over cupcakes.
Yield: 1 dozen
Calories: 261 (28% from fat): Fat 8.2g (sat 4.8g, mono 2.4g, poly 0.4g); Protein 3.5g; Carbohydrate 44.5g; Fiber 0.3g; Cholesterol 53mg; Iron 1.1mg; Sodium 180mg; Calcium 32mg
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
A Hungry Runner 