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Cook the Book: One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Posted by Michele Humes, November 18, 2008 at 2:15 PM

This recipe is the drop-cookie of chocolate cakes: an effortless chocolate batter that makes crowd-pleasing cupcakes, but is easily adapted to produce layer cakes, too.

It's so easy, in fact, that Martha Stewart admits it hardly belongs on her Cooking School curriculum: no special techniques, no electric mixer, and no more than one bowl. Frost as desired, or sandwich with your favorite buttercream.

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One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes With Swiss Meringue Buttercream

- makes 24 cupcakes -
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cooking School.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (plus more for pans)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons table salt
2 large whole eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. Whisk in eggs, yolk, water, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway. Bake cupcakes, rotating tins half way through, until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

5. Transfer to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes, then turn out cupcakes onto rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

Variation: Chocolate Layer Cake

1. Coat two 8 by 2-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; spray parchment.

2. Follow instructions for cupcakes above, dividing batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

3. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.

4. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off parchment. Reinvert cakes, and cool completely, top sides up, before frosting.

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Tags: chocolate, Cook the Book, cupcakes, desserts, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart's Cooking School