Devils Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

I love to bake and I bake A LOT but lets face it ... I'm no Martha Stewart. 

Martha Stewart has managed to market herself as the standard by which all things "proper" are measured.  We have begun to measure ourselves against this unrealistic expectation that she's created. 
    Why can't I create 30 adorable crafts out of toilet paper tubes and glitter in under hour for my child's preschool     class?
    When I plant Martha Stewart flower seeds in my garden, why they don't produce wedding worthy bouquets like it     shows on the package?
    Why is it that I can't complete even the simplest Martha Stewart project without a minimum of 7 trips to Home         Depot and spending at least three times over the estimated cost?
    Why does her "chrysanthemum" paint color look absolutely stunning on the can and like a sunburnt pumpkin on         my dining room walls?  (Wish I was kidding.) 
    Why does every Martha Stewart recipe that I try to make, have 25 steps and a list of ingredients that I've never         even heard of? 
    How did I break my Kitchen Aid mixer and end up covered in white goo when I tried to make her homemade             marshmallows?  (Most expensive marshmallows EVER.)

I think you get the point.  My intent is not to discredit Martha Stewart because clearly, she's an expert on a lot of different things.  I'm simply saying that even though she tries to convince us otherwise, we are not all going to have perfectly decorated homes and become expert souffle baking, crafting, painters and sewing, gardeners who can accomplish anything while looking flawless and un-stressed.  Quite the opposite really.  I can tell you that after I've conquered ANY Martha Stewart project, I look like I've been through the battlefield.

I can appreciate her ideas but sometimes her execution is slightly unrealistic for the average person.  Maybe if I had her team of specialist working alongside me, my cupcakes would come out looking like they should be on the cover of her magazine.  Then again - even that might not be enough help. 





So why am I droning on and on about Martha Stewart?  I've decided to make a conscious effort to stop using Martha Stewart as the standard by which I judge my baking.  I am going to stop comparing my desserts to hers.  Even when I follow a Martha Stewart recipe, I'm going to expect my finished product to look entirely different than the one shown in the professional photograph. 

The Devils Food Cupcake recipe that I found on Martha's website is a perfect example.   Her cupcake looked absolutely amazing but were not realistic for the average baker like myself.

   

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I made a few modifications to her recipe and added my own frosting but you really can't even tell that these 2 cupcakes came from the same recipe.  See what I mean about unrealistic expectations?

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So if you want to try Martha Stewart's Devils Food Cupcake recipe - I recommend that you give MY version of the recipe, a try.  I don't weigh out all of my ingredients perfectly and my pictures aren't perfect but then again ... neither am I.  But this is a realistic and achievable Devils Food cupcake recipe.

Devils Food Cupcakes                                                        Chocolate Frosting
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder                                           2 cups butter, softened 
3/4 cup hot water                                                                      5 cups powdered sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour                                                              2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda                                                              8 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon baking powder                                        
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat.

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Whisk together water and cocoa until smooth.

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Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

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Pour butter/sugar mixture into bowl of standing mixer and whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes until cooled.

Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Switch to flat beater and beat in eggs - one at a time.

Beat in dry ingredients, alternating with sour cream.

Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake 23 minutes.  (I made 18 jumbo cupcakes.)

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Cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting:  Beat butter in mixer for 5 minutes.

Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Beat in melted chocolate. 

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with chocolate jimmies.  (A whole lot easier than making homemade chocolate curls.) 

My intent for this blog was not to offend Martha Stewart.  I will be the first to admit that she is a marketing genius.  Martha Stewart has her name on everything from cupcake liners and sprinkles to closet organizing systems to plants and shovels to glitter and glue. There's something to be said for someone who can market her brand in that many different areas.  You can hardly walk through an isle of Home Depot without seeing something with her name.  I have to give her credit for that.  I do hope that you will try some of her projects and recipes but I also hope that you will have more realistic ideas about the end result than I did. 

Ciao!