The Search for the Perfect Chocolate Cupcake Part 1

The Chocolate Chronicles

Chocolate Cupcakes (Version 1) with Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue

A chocolate cupcake is so much easier to handle than vanilla.  Vanilla is so barren and exposed.  It needs a floppy hat before it goes out in the sun, and SPF 100 on the beach.  Chocolate has a strong flavor to cover it up.  Chocolate can rock a bikini on the beach, and even if that chocolate isn't perfect who cares because it's chocolate!  

My brother, John, and I sampled this cupcake and it was pretty darn tasty.  John thought the cake wasn't as moist as the vanilla.  I thought it was just as moist, but I do think it could use some tiny tweeking to make it perfect.  The important thing is that this is my own recipe.  I'm not re-pinning someone else's ideas.  This is my blood, sweat, and tears (come on, it's hot in the kitchen) and boy does that feel good.  

Chocolate Version #1

72 g unsweetened cocoa powder
9 g baking powder
5 g baking powder
4 g celtic sea salt
124 g flour

Sift everything except for the sea salt.  Add the salt and whisk together.  

200 g sugar

96 g olive oil

1 egg + 3 egg yolks

1 tbsp of instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp of water (I used Nescafe)

13 g vanilla extract 

7 oz container of Fage 2% plain Greek yogurt

Cream together the sugar and olive oil.  Beat in each egg until combined.  Beat in the coffee and vanilla.  

Add the dry mixture to this wet mixture in thirds, beating in completely.  Lastly, beat in the yogurt.  

Bake for 14 minutes at 350 degrees.  Makes 18 cupcakes.  

Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream

3 egg whites (save them from the above recipe!)

2 sticks of butter softened

3/4 cup of sugar

1 cup of peanut butter

I whip up my egg whites in a glass bowl, which I heat a bit of water in a small pot (we will be double boiling in essence).  When the water is hot turn the flame to low, and put the egg white bowl over it.  Add the sugar to the eggs and beat them together.  I take breaks in my beating because I'm lazy.  It needs to cook over warm water, beating occasionally, until the meringue is smooth with no grit left.  Then transfer into a new cool bowl and let it cool down.  Add your softened butter and beat away.  Beat until it looks like frosting.  If it starts looking gross, you didn't beat enough.  When it looks like frosting add in the peanut butter and have fun.  It is very light tasting.  

Future Thoughts

• My goal is to find the balance where the cupcake is really moist but still with enough protein to make it fluffy.  I'm still working on that.  I'm thinking of adding in a bit of almond milk to mix it up.  
• My Mom wants me to start thinking of adding fruits to the cupcake batter.  I think I want to perfect these base recipes before I start throwing in pineapple, but I will eventually try it out.  
• Right now I'm actually doing a Master Cleanse (no food).  I'm on day 4 of 10, so I won't be baking cupcakes for about a week.  I hope you are looking forward to it!