I am the emotionallyvolatilebear meme personified. Seriously. I thought I’d get that bit of confession out of the way before I start rambling about this gorgeous chocolate cupcake recipe. In the past, I have not exactly been discreet about being iffy with Martha Stewart. I’ve always thought her recipes are excruciatingly dainty and technique-oriented, making it impossible for me to comprehend. And the fact that she has Angie and Wes (at least, it was Angie and Wes back in 2006, which was the last time I watched one of her shows. Did the lineup change?) in the backstage kitchen passing out pre-made goodies on her show (instead of realtime cooking) didn’t make her look any better in my eyes. But I’ll be damned, she definitely writes some of the best dessert recipes. I know this because I have a DevArt friend, Kate, who’s an avid fan (and has also been a guest star on the show which makes her exponentially cool). She makes the best desserts and swears by Miss Stewart’s recipes. So today, when my teeth is practically itching for some chocolate-y goodness, I didn’t really hesitate when I chose to follow her One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcake recipe, and boy am I glad I didn’t. This cupcake, along with the chocolate frosting recipe that I’m posting below, will extract some of the most sinful sounds from those who eats it. Ye have been warned.

Chocolate Cupcakes:

[ 3/4 cup cocoa powder + 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour + 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 2 large eggs + 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 3/4 teaspoon baking powder + 3/4 teaspoon salt + 3/4 cup warm water + 3/4 cup buttermilk + 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ] OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon coconut extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. 

Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla (and coconut extract, if using), and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. 

Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each until 2/3 full.

Bake until tops spring when touched (about 25 minutes), rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting:

[ 9 ounce semisweet chocolate + 1 cup heavy cream ]

In double boiler melt the chocolate and stir in the cream. Set aside to cool.

ASSEMBLY:

Take a cupcake and make a hole on the top with a toothpick. Pipe in some whipped cream (or buttercream), making sure to not overfill the cupcakes. Spread the chocolate glaze generously on top.

Enjoy!