Devil's Food Cupcakes with Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

These cupcakes were very lovely! I have been planning to make cupcakes for awhile and just hadn't gotten around to it. I was excited to try out a new decorator tip and a cupcake carrying case that Annie Bananie got me!

When our landlord helped us out with a crisis in our apartment one morning (don't ask)...I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to make some cupcakes for him! This recipe made a TON of cupcakes, though. So I also gave some to my friend who was in a play this weekend and Annie Bananie also sold some at the Broadway Flea Market! Obviously these cupcakes got a lot of mileage.

The cupcakes are a Martha Stewart creation, so obviously they were delish. I could have used more chocolate in them, but that is just me being a crazy chocoholic. The frosting was the Magnolia Bakery's recipe for vanilla buttercream. Of all the cupcakes out here in NY, Magnolia's are pretty far down on my list, but their frosting gets me every time. YUM!

Devil's Food Cupcakes
Martha Stewart

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lind standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and pour into mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Food Network.com

1 cup butter (softened)
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. Top with shaved chocolate.