Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, topped with cherry sours and rolled in white nonpareils. Made for David's stepmother's birthday. Both cupcakes and frosting are made from the Hershey's "Perfect Chocolate" recipes:

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake (from the Hershey's website)

•      2 c. sugar
•      1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
•      3/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa     
•      1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
•      1 1/2 tps. baking soda
•      1 tsp. salt
•      2 eggs
•      1 c. milk
•      1/2 c. vegetable oil
•      2 tsp. vanilla
•      1 c. boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


Hershey's "Perfect Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting (from the Hershey's website)

•      1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
•      2/3 c. Hershey's cocoa (any cocoa will do of course)
•      3 c. powdered sugar
•      1/3 c. milk
•      1 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Yields about 2 cups frosting.