Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

I've always had a funny little relationship with Valentine's Day.

As a kid, I guess it was kinda fun to pick out your mini valentine cards for all your classmates and eat candy, but as soon as 'love' started getting involved I became mostly uninterested.

Once, in the 6th grade, I was surprised to find a full-sized Hallmark card mixed in my stack of tiny envelopes.  It was from a classmate of mine who apparently had a crush on me.

His name was Nick.  And if I remember correctly, the card asked if I would be his girlfriend.

Such a sweet thing to do, right?

Well I wrote on it "Never in a million years" and promptly returned it to him.

True story.

I was a mean, horrible, rude little person at the age of 12.  Definitely not my proudest moment.

(By the way, years later I sincerely apologized to Nick for being so awful to him in that situation, and we actually became friends).

But even though I can appreciate a gesture like that now, the truth is I'm still not much of a romantic.

I would choose to watch 300 over Sweet Home Alabama any day.

And while I do indulge in The Bachelor, I view it more as a train wreck you can't look away from then a fairy-tale love story.

Mr. Vittles would wholeheartedly agree.  On one of the few occasions he tolerated Bachelor-viewing in his presence, he said to me "I don't understand why they always have to have rose petals & candles everywhere in this show - somebody's gotta go and light all those candles, and vacuum all those things up afterwards."

So luckily for him, I've really never been a fan of Valentines Day.

Not because I don't like love.  I do!  There's no better feeling in the world than truly being in love, no matter what stage of the relationship you're in.

But I don't need jewelry or overpriced dinners in the company of every other couple in America to celebrate my love.

Plus V-Day comes right on the heels of my birthday, so it seems wrong having my husband shower me with gifts twice in a matter of weeks.

Though I guess most ladies would welcome this.  Some would even demand it.

But that's just not my style.

I can get down with a simple card, and maybe a little chocolate - best way to a Maggie's heart is through her stomach.

(Another true story).

Actually, some chocolate-covered strawberries would be excellent.

Almost as good is... a chocolate strawberry cupcake.

But since I'm fairly certain that Mr. Vittles will be making me neither of these treats, I guess it's up to me to do the baking!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 stick (8 T.) butter, cut in 4 pieces
• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 C. Dutch-processed cocoa
• 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 3/4 t. baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/2 C. sour cream (4 oz.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven 350 degrees.  Line a standard-sized muffin pan with baking-cup liners and set aside.

Combine butter, chocolate pieces, and cocoa in medium heat-proof bowl.  Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water, and heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted.  Whisk until smooth & combined.  Set bowl aside to cool mixture until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl to combine.  Set aside.

In second medium bowl, whisk eggs to combine, then add sugar, vanilla and salt.  Whisk until fully incorporated.  Add chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Add about 1/3 of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Add sour cream and whisk to incorporate.  Then add remaining flour mixture and whisk to combine, using a spatula as necessary to fold in any un-incorporated parts at the bottom of the bowl.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in pan set on wire rack until cool enough to handle (about 15 minutes).  Carefully lift each cupcake from pan, and set on wire rack to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before frosting with strawberry buttercream (recipe below).

Strawberry Buttercream

• 3 large strawberries, hulled, washed & dried, and at room-temperature
• 1 stick (8 T.) butter, room temperature
• 1/4 t. vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 3 - 4 C. powdered sugar
• 1 T. heavy cream
• 1 t. strawberry jam (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse berries until chopped.  Add butter, vanilla, salt, and 2 C. of powdered sugar.  Pulse until well-combined.

Add cream and small amounts of powdered sugar, pulsing after each, until strawberries are pureed and mixture reaches desired consistency.  The frosting should be smooth & soft, yet hold its shape.  Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Store leftover cupcakes in refrigerator, and bring to room-temperature before serving again.  Makes 12 cupcakes.*

*If you want to double the amount of cupcakes, make 2 separate batches of batter and bake separately.  According to Cook's Illustrated, doubling the recipe and baking the trays together does not yield as good of a cupcake.

Cupcake Recipe Slightly Adapted from Cook's Illustrated; Buttercream Recipe Slightly Adapted from Sophistimom blog

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake

Mr. Vittles loves cherry & vanilla.

He also loves Cherry Garcia ice cream by Ben & Jerry's.

And he really loves his wife who makes him cakes that combine cherry, vanilla, chocolate, & whipped cream.

Now I already told you his favorite cake is angel food cake with chocolate whipped cream, which is what I made on his birthday.

But his dad and sister both have birthdays have right after his, so we celebrate them all during a family meal.

...where my mother-in-law not only cooks a fabulous meal, but dutifully makes each of their favorite desserts.

This year, I asked her what I could bring, and since she knew Mr. Vittles already got his angel food cake, she suggested an alternate dessert for him.

I knew it was the perfect opportunity to make this cake, which I've been saving in my recipe annals for just such an occasion.

The assembly is a little time consuming, though, so I actually cheated and used a boxed vanilla cake mix.

Just don't tell Mr. Vittles' grandmother.  I already got in trouble on Sunday for the angel food cake I made last year that only had two layers and a level of chocolate whipped cream that had her 'concerned.'

(Thank goodness I made three layers this year, because I bet Nana Vittles could sniff out a liar from a mile away.)

Either way, I think it's safe to say my husband is one of the luckiest guys in the world.

Like... really?  A grandma who's worried he's not getting enough chocolate whipped cream, and a wife who makes him two birthday cakes?

Hmph.  Lucky.

And did I mention he's also pretty special?

'Cause I wouldn't hand-dip maraschino cherries for just anyone :)

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake

Cake

• 1 recipe white cake batter (either a cake mix with all its necessary ingredients, or your favorite recipe) 
• 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling  
• 1/2 C. mini chocolate chips  

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

• 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips (or you can use more of the mini)
• 1 T. vegetable shortening  
• 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries with stems, drained and wiped dry 

Vanilla Buttercream

• 3 C. confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 C. butter (3 sticks) 
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 T. heavy cream 
• 4 drops red food coloring

Whipped Cream

• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 1 - 2 T. sugar

Preheat oven to to temperature required for white cake recipe.  Grease and flour two 9" cake pans, and set aside.

Drain and rinse cherry pie filling under running water. Press cherries between several layers of paper towels until very dry. Chop cherries fine and reserve 1/2 cup (discard remaining cherries, or reserve for other use).

Make white cake batter per instructions.  Gently fold cherries and 1/2 C. mini chips into cake batter, and divide evenly among prepared pans.  Bake on middle rack according to directions for your white cake recipe in two 9" pans.  (Probably 25-30 minutes in 350 degree oven, but check your recipe or cake mix box).

While cake is baking, dip maraschino cherries: Melt remaining 1 1/2 cups chips and shortening in bowl. Holding stems, partially dip dry maraschino cherries into chocolate and place on parchment-lined plate. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 10 minutes.

Once cake has cooled, make buttercream: In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugart; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds.

Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla, heavy cream, and red food coloring, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds.  Then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Place one layer of cake on a cake plate or platter.  Using an offset spatula, spread buttercream evenly over layer, and top with second layer of cake.  Spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of cake, and smooth out frosting.

Make whipped cream: Place 1/2 C. heavy cream in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  Add sugar as desired, and whip on on highest speed possible until mixtures stiffens & soft peaks form.  Mound whipped cream in center of cake and pile on chocolate-dipped cherries.  (If desired, you can pipe whipped cream from a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip).  Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Recipe Adapted from Cooks' Country

Coconut Cake

This past Saturday I left for a trip to California to visit my roommate from college, Natalie Vittles, and her family.  She is married with two sons - Otto just turned three, and Felix is five months old.  She also just started law school.

So... I'm gonna go ahead and state the obvious by saying she has her hands full.  But it was a great trip, and I had a lot of fun with her, her husband, and the kids.

 Otto, Me, and Felix

Some of the highlights included: touring the playgrounds of Sacramento, eating at an Ethiopian restaurant, seeing the movie Wall-E for the first time, trying some of Nat Vittles' homemade foods - such as her homemade granola (which is hopefully making an appearance on here soon!) and sunflower seed pate wrapped in collard greens - AND chuckling at about 75% of the comments that came out of Otto's mouth.

He is extremely smart for his age, but as Nat V put it - he is at the point where he knows what he wants to do, but not mature enough to understand why he isn't allowed to do most of it.

In other words - his parents (and now Auntie Maggie) are The Meanest People On Earth.

The beauty of being three, though, is that you get over it pretty quickly.  Tuesday night when I told him I had to go home, he grabbed my hand and said "But I want you to stay here!"

Melted my heart :(

I took an overnight flight back and didn't get much sleep, but oddly enough I felt very energized when I got home yesterday around 12:30 PM.

Being home this "early" I was thinking of all the things I could do - namely catch up on some baking and cooking!  I unpacked (arguably the worst part of traveling), did all my laundry, and noticed the cookie jar was empty.

Somebody ate all the cookies in the house while I was gone.  I wonder who that could be?

So I thought maybe I would make some cookies to fill up the jar.  But I made some cookies at Nat's and so I ultimately decided I wasn't feeling like it.

Then I remembered a request I had the weekend before, from Dan's cousin Devon Vittles for a coconut cake.  She and her parents had some at a restaurant that sounded incredible, and she was wondering if I had any good recipes.

I made one with chocolate coconut icing last year for Mr. Vittles' birthday that came out really good, and I thought I wrote it down.

Mr. Vittles' Birthday, September 2009

I didn't.  ...sigh...

Thus I went searching online, and found a recipe for Fresh Coconut Cake which sounded pretty yummy.  But since there was not even a banana nor an apple left in the house, I figured the chance of fresh coconut suddenly appearing in the fridge was about as likely as me spending my day 'off' at the dreaded grocery store.

So I ended up adapting the recipe quite a bit and I sort of made up the frosting based on what I had (ice at your own risk!) but Mr. V gave it his seal of approval.  "Its good... no, actually, really good."

That's what I like to hear.

Of course, I used up all my energy on making cake and toasting coconut and assembling the darn thing, so we had this elaborate dessert and some Boboli-crusted pizza for dinner.

Oh well.  Guess the 2 hours of plane sleep didn't do much for me after all.

Coconut Cake

• 2 1/4 C. cake flour*
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 C. coconut milk
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 t. coconut extract/flavoring
• 1 1/4 C. sugar
• 8 T. butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/4 C. canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 C. shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Spray two 9" round pans with nonstick spray or grease with butter.  In a medium bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another small bowl, combine coconut milk and extracts.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium until light & fluffy.  Add sugar and cream, scraping down sides of bowl as needed with a spatula.  Add oil and mix on medium speed until combined.  Then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Add coconut mixture to the mixing bowl alternately with the flour mixture, beating on low speed & scraping down sides after each addition until all are combined.  Spoon batter into prepared pans, and spread evenly.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until top is browned, sides of cake are pulling away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans 15 minutes, then invert cake directly onto wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, turn down oven to 300 degrees.  Spread the cup of shredded coconut on a baking sheet and place in oven.  Bake in 5 minute increments, stirring after each increment, until coconut is toasted.  (Be careful here - it burns easily if you don't pay attention to it).  Set toasted coconut aside.

Once cake is completely cooled, prepare Coconut Buttercream Frosting**:

• 8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 C. powdered (confectioners') sugar
• 2 T. milk
• 1/4 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 t. coconut extract/flavoring

Beat butter on medium speed until light & fluffy.  Add sugar and cream together.  Add milk and extracts, and blend on low.  Then switch speed to med-high until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Assemble cake - place one round on a plate or cake stand and frost the top.  Add the next layer and frost as desired (note that the frosting recipe above is enough to frost the tops of both layers, but NOT the sides).  Sprinkle toasted coconut on the top.

Notes:
*If you don't have cake flour, you can substitute a mixture of all-purpose flour & cornstarch.  For each cup of cake flour a recipe calls for, first place 2 T of cornstarch in the bottom of the measuring cup. Then fill the rest of the cup with flour.  For a half cup, use only 1 T cornstarch.  For 1/4 cup, use 1 1/2 t. of cornstarch.

**I use frosting pretty sparingly.  This recipe makes enough to frost the tops of each layer but not the sides of the cake.  I recommend doubling the recipe if you want to do the sides as well, or if you like a lot of icing. 


Cake recipe adapted from About.com - frosting recipe is original