One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Seven Minute Frosting

I was reading this post tonight and it got me thinking. Whenever we're invited to a party or get together, I always try to ask what I can bring. I usually volunteer to bake something since I love making treats and sharing them with others. At the time (usually weeks or at least one week in advance of the event), I'm really excited. Fast forward a few days and I start stressing about exactly what type of baked good I should make. Does the event call for cake, cupcakes, pie, tarts, cookies, etc.? I spend so much time thinking about all of the options, and failing to make any decisions, that I wind up leaving myself very little time to actually bake. It's a ridiculously bad habit and one I've recognized for a while now. I'm a procrastinator in general, though, so I don't know how much hope there is for me to change my ways.

I made these cupcakes to take to a party last weekend and of course found myself baking them just a few hours before we needed to leave the house. Fortunately, the recipe is pretty much foolproof. No butter to bring to room temperature and just one bowl to mix all of the ingredients. My only complaint about the batter is that it's fairly runny, which made it difficult to transfer to the tins. Once baked though, the cupcakes are incredibly moist and quite delicious!

I'd originally planned to make buttercream frosting for the cupcakes but when I saw the seven minute frosting in the book and remembered all of the egg whites in my freezer, I changed gears. I love that this frosting doesn't contain a pound of butter and yet is still tasty. The marshmallow frosting is just sweet enough and paired wonderfully with the cupcakes. I loved the contrast of the dark cupcakes with the bright white frosting. Please note that the recipe below makes a TON of frosting. I frosted all 24 of my cupcakes and didn't even make a dent in it. I could probably have made 1/4 of the recipe and I still would have had leftovers.

from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract and water. Beat until all ingredients are combined and smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating muffin tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes before turning the cupcakes out onto the racks to cool completely.

Makes 18-24 cupcakes (the recipe says it yields 18 but I got 24)

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

6 large egg whites, at room temperature

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 F.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.

As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230 F, remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low, pour the syrup down the side of the mixer bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high and whisk until mixture is completely cool and stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

Makes 8 cups