Chocolate Malted Cupcakes

This past weekend it was the nineteenth birthday of my dear friend and sorority sister, Emily!  Seeing as she is an avid reader of I Tinkle Sprinkles I thought it absolutely necessary to bake for her!  She is an enormous fan of chocolate, as most of us are, and so my friend Sarah suggested a recipe she has made many times for her housemates!  (Ariel was unable to participate this weekend, I missed her dearly!!!)  Sarah found this recipe in the Martha Stewart’s Cupcake cookbook.

Chocolate Malted Cupcakes:

Makes roughly 28

2 1/4C All purpose flour
3/4 C Dutch process cocoa powdered
1/2 C Granulated sugar
3/4 C light brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C milk
1 1/4 C Malted milk powder ( such as Carnations)
1 C vegetable oil
3 large eggs at room temp
1 C sour cream at room temp
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method:
With oven preheated @ 350 Degrees F.

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugars, baking soda & salt. in another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until dissolve.
2. With mixer on Med- High, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filled half way. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cake tester comes out clean or baked about 20 minutes.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

Makes about 4 cups

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

1. With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
   
2. Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

With the frosting completed, we decided that while the white was crisp and clean cut, Emily was more exciting than that and needed some color.  We used 2 drops of blue food coloring and 3 drops of pink food coloring to make a lovely shade of purple.  After having our desired color we attached a medium sized star-shape to a pastry bag and carefully piped the frosting onto the cupcakes.

The cupcakes were delicious and the malt powder made them extremely aerated.  They were fluffy and light, and made it possible to enjoy these rich and sweet flavors without feeling overwhelmed. 

I would recommend, and I think Emily would agree, that these are the perfect birthday cupcakes!!