My friend Barbara was having the girls over to her new house in Newton for dinner on Saturday.  I wanted to bring something other than wine and I know she had dinner fully covered so I asked if I could make some dessert.  Of course, she said yes so I went to work on making some cupcakes. 

Chocolate Chip Cupcake

I remembered a great looking recipe for chocolate chip cupcakes on My Baking Addiction and decided I wanted to make them as I had never had chocolate chip cupcakes before. It was a great decision on my part!  I made the cupcakes exactly to the directions and then did my own frosting.  They turned out fabulous! 

Chocolate Chip Cupcake
Cupcakes from a “My Baking Addiction” Recipe

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla.

With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I did eat a cupcake even before it had cooled and before I put any frosting on them. I Had to make sure they were good… they were awesome!  This is recipe is going right into my save file. 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting 
ÂĽ cup butter
½ cup cocoa powder, sifted
½ cup warm milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

Cream butter and cocoa powder together. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, adding warm milk as necessary until spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.

Dinner was so fun.  It is amazing how quickly time can fly by when a bunch of girlfriends are gossiping catching up on what they have all been up to.  A great dinner, about 50 wonderful conversations – some of them going on at the same time, good wine and friends – can anyone ask for more?