Chocolate Cardamom Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

When I’m feeling under the weather I tend to hibernate and stay out of the kitchen.  Once I begin to feel better I get the itch to bake.

If you follow me on Twitter (@BakingBlog) you know that I caught a nasty bug last week and it knocked me out for about four days.  Now that I am, happily, on the mend I am back in the kitchen whipping up some food to feed my evil soul.   After being so sick I felt I deserved something rich so it had to be chocolate, but I needed something with deep flavor so I grabbed some spices.

Spice and chocolate are a favorite combination of mine.  This time out I decided on aromatic and tangy cardamom along with some warm cinnamon to take these cupcakes over the edge.  As combinations go, cardamom and chocolate do not get the love they deserve.  Cardamom adds an edge to chocolate that makes the deep notes taste deeper while providing a bright finish.  To top it all off I added chocolate cream cheese frosting.  The tang of the frosting was perfect with the spicy cake.  If you love chocolate, or if you have never had cardamom and chocolate, give these a try.

Chocolate Cardamom Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting      Yield 12

For the cupcakes:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 ounce dark (64% or higher) chocolate melted

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting:

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 – 8 ounce block cream cheese, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Heat the oven to 350 F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well blended.   Add the sugar and whisk to incorporate.

In a medium bowl combine the butter, melted chocolate, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until blended, but do not over mix.

Divide the batter into the muffin cups evenly.  Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed in the center.  Cool the cupcakes in the pan for three minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes cool prepare the frosting.  Blend the cream cheese and the butter until well blended and smooth.  Add the vanilla and mix.  Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low speed until smooth.

Once the cupcakes are cool frost the cupcakes as desired.

Enjoy!