Sugar

This weekend involved a lot of sugar, spice and everything nice as we celebrated our NEW HOME purchase (whoo hoo!) and my husband's birthday.

I love birthdays, but D doesn't see the need for all the fuss. Nevertheless, we whooped it up by going out to dinner at out fave Mexican place--extra salsa please!--and then staying at home like two old people. Awesome. Here we are at din: And obviously I had to make some of these...

Mmm-mmm. Dubbed Chocolate Overload(is there such thing??) Cupcakes by D, these are quadruple dark chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting (dark chocolate cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips in the cake batter, dark and regular cocoa in the frosting and all topped with dark chocolate chips). Fancy.

Here's the recipe in case you decide you need to celebrate something fancy on your own:

Dark Cocoa Cupcakes

• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. splenda
• 1/2 c. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 c. skim milk
• 2 tbs. oil
• 3 heaping spoonfuls of unsweetened applesauce (shh...don't tell D they're low fat!)
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together dry ingredients, then add milk, oil, applesauce, vanilla and the egg. Mix in chocolate chips. Scoop into cupcake liners (makes about 18 cupcakes) or pour into a 9-inch round cake pan. Bake about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Frost with Top-Secret Buttercream Icing and top with Hershey's Extra Dark chocolate chips.

I know I used Splenda a.k.a. The Devil in this recipe, but I bought a huge bag of it a while ago and it was just so expensive that I can't stand to throw it out even though I am quite aware of it's evils. I'm sure you can just sub regular sugar instead, but I would recommend adding a little more if you are sensitive to the bitterness of dark chocolate.

I debated about sharing my frosting recipe, since it's the one thing I make that everyone loves and requests. It's sooooo easy, yet no one likes to make it themselves I guess, or it doesn't turn out for them. But in the spirit of blogger love, I will overshare it with you so you can get lots of love and requests too.

Top-Secret Buttercream Icing

• 1 stick of butter (gasp!)
• 1 bag of powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbs. meringue powder
• 2 tbs. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 tbs. regular Hershey's Cocoa Powder

Soften butter on the counter top for a few hours, or overnight if you forget about it. Cream butter and vanilla together on low speed until fluffy. Add milk and then powdered sugar gradually, mixing in meringue powder and cocoa about halfway through. Keep adding powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached, or add milk to thin.

The meringue powder was a new addition for me this time, but it really helps to keep the frosting fluffy and stiff enough to hold a pretty swirl on the cupcake.