Old-Fashioned Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting 

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, April 3rd 2016 edition. By: Blaise Doubman 

This old-fashioned cupcake is updated with flavor and frosting…
Blaise Doubman

Not many people know this about me, but my memory is pretty good. Well, let me rephrase that, my long term memory is pretty good. I remember when I was little, hearing that my memory was “like an elephant’s”. Do elephants have a good memory? Must have…I’ll have to make a mental note to Google it later and find out for sure. Regardless, I remember hearing that and being pretty proud of the fact – true or not. One of my earliest memories is having my picture taken with my Dad, Jamie, his Mom and Dad, Barbra and Junior, his brothers (my uncles) Brett and Troy, and my Grandpa Junior’s Mom and Dad, Flora and Jim. I very distinctly remember that hot summer day, having my picture taken, my Dad holding me, and me wanting to be anywhere but there – I was burning up! When I tell my family this, they just laugh at me. Why? Because I was only two years old at the time… Yes, I know – strange. But true.

One of my very earliest food memories in the kitchen would be in my Great Grandma Flora’s kitchen. My Grandma Barbra and I were visiting and I remember Great Grandma Flora in the kitchen making chocolate cupcakes. I remember seeing her sifting the dry ingredients, pouring in the liquid, adding coffee to the mixture and really working hard. The smells and sounds from that day in the kitchen, are still with me to this day. I even still associate Devil’s Food cupcakes with my Great Grandma Flora. I have taken an old-fashioned recipe and updated it with instant coffee granules, a little extra butter, and topped them with a frosting that is almost too good to be true – almost. But, I have kept the old-fashioned mixing process intact, which results in a moist and tender cupcake that you will want to make again and again.

Old-Fashioned Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting

As with almost every other recipe in baking, start with room temperature ingredients before attempting to make these cupcakes and frosting. It’s essential for the butter to be soft, the eggs to be room temperature and the milk to be the same temperature as the butter and eggs. If you only have salted butter, use it and leave out the pinch of salt. Other milks can be used as well, but if you use anything less than whole milk, the texture of the cupcakes will change slightly. Baking is a science, but that doesn’t mean you can’t substitute ingredients, experiment and have fun!

For the cupcakes…

1 cup white all-purpose white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
Pinch of salt
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2/4 cup white whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the frosting…

2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
½ stick (2 oz.) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup regular size cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Lightly spray the tin and liners with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the white all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, instant coffee granules and salt. Using a wire whisk, whisk all ingredients together to ensure the ingredients are combined and lump free.

In a separate bowl, combine the unsalted butter and white granulated sugar and beat together until light and fluffy. Next, add in the two large eggs and combine thoroughly.

Add the pure vanilla extract to the white whole milk and stir together.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the beaten butter and sugar mixture, and stir to combine. Next, add in the milk and pure vanilla extract mixture and beat. Finally, add in the remaining dry ingredients and combine until mixed thoroughly.

Fill each cupcake liner three-fourths of the way full and place in preheated oven for exactly 19 minutes. After baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool before frosting.

To make the frosting, whisk together the powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder and salt to ensure the ingredients and combined and lump free.

In a separate bowl combine ½ cup of the powdered sugar mixture with the unsalted butter and tablespoon of whole milk. Beat together until smooth.

Next, add in the remaining powdered sugar mixture and tablespoon of whole milk. Beat together until smooth. Add in the pure vanilla extract and light corn syrup. Beat this mixture well to incorporate as much air as possible. The finished frosting will be smooth and thick, lump free and deep in color.

Frost cupcakes and serve.