Chocolate Cupcakes for Ballerinas

Recently, my son had Pioneer Day at school and tonight my daughter has a ballet recital. I signed up to bring food for both. I didn't think that the giant Buffalo Chip Cookies that I made for Pioneer Day would go over as well at the dainty reception for the recital, so I decided to make these mini chocolate cupcakes instead. I haven't gotten feedback from the recital because it's tonight, but the feedback from my family and my very own personal tastebuds say "delicious!"
Here are the lucky ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcakes
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks butter
1 pound box light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the chocolate squares in a microwave or double boiler. In a small bowl, sift flour and baking soda together. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together; add the vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Fold in the melted chocolate until well blended. Alternate the flour with the buttermilk. Stir in the boiling water. Place in two 8-inch round greased and floured pans or place batter in paper lined cupcake tins. Bake for approximately 30 minutes for 2 8-inch layers or approximately 12 minutes for mini cupcakes as shown below. Cool and frost with icing.
Marshmallow Frosting
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2/3 cup marshmallow cream
6 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix together the butter and marshmallow cream. Add powdered sugar and half-and-half. Blend in vanilla extract. Spread on cupcakes.

Here is a step-by-step guide for wonderfully moist and delicious chocolate cupcakes for ballerinas and definitely not buffaloes.
Mix together the butter and sugar.

Beat until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla.

Add the melted chocolate.

Add the flour and the buttermilk.

Add the boiling water to get a thin batter.

Use a scoop for uniformly sized cupcakes. I made mine into the mini cupcakes.

Let the cupcakes cool while you mix the frosting. You might have to sample a few for quality control.

You want a somewhat stiff frosting because the marshmallow cream will tend to make the frosting not hold its shape. And, no one wants a droopy cupcake. That would be like a ballerina with a droopy tutu.
It just wouldn't do at all!

For the recital, I used a Wilton 2D tip to pipe on the frosting. For home I used a knife from the kitchen drawer and smeared on the frosting followed by a generous dash of sprinkles!





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