Facebook Cupcakes Round 2

The cupcakes I posted on Thursday were a test run for another order, which was due tonight at 9:30.  I started cutting out the new fondant shield pieces on Saturday, and glued them all together Sunday.  I also baked and frosted the cupcakes today too.  Baking and frosting the cakes was the easiest part of this project.

I didn’t like the way the “like” icons turned out last time, so I put a dark blue background on them, which not only makes them more accurate but allowed me to put them on white background instead of blue.  I can never get the right blue out of my buttercream because, by nature, it’s a little yellowish.  All blues look greenish no matter how much coloring goes in. This round of cupcakes got an un-dyed vanilla bean buttercream. Here they are, all packaged up and ready for pickup:

The cupcakes are dark chocolate and I used a store bought fondant with some gum paste powder worked in to make it stiff.  Next time I do the fondant work, I will remember to take pictures so I can do a step-by-step, but for now, enjoy the recipe below.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

16 T        (two sticks) unsalted butter

4 oz        bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 c           (3 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1½ c       (7½ oz) all-purpose flour

1½ t        baking powder

1 t           baking soda

1 t           salt

4 lg         eggs, room temperature

2 t           vanilla extract

1½ c       (10½ oz) sugar

1 c           sour cream

1.       Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2.       Melt the butter, chocolate, and cocoa together in a double boiler or a medium bowl over simmering water, stirring constantly, until smooth.  Let mixture cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

3.       In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together by hand until uniform.  Slowly whisk in the sugar until combined.  Slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture until combined.

4.       Sift about a third of the flour mixture over the batter and whisk in.  Whisk in half the sour cream.  Sift half the remaining flour mixture and whisk in, followed by the remainder of the sour cream.  Sift the final portion of the flour mixture over the batter and whisk until completely incorporated (the batter will be thick).

5.       Give the batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined.  Using a greased ¼-cup measure or #16 portion scooper, portion the batter into each lined cup.  Bake one tin of cupcakes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking.  Repeat with second tin.  Let the cupcakes cool in the tins for 10 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.