Chocolate babycakes with lemon buttercream.

I should have put something next to these little babies as they are tiny little treats in petit fours cases! They were as tasty as they were adorable, thanks to the delicious recipe from Garret.

I had some buttercream left from my perfect party bicycle cake, and didnt want it to go to waste. This was the perfect place. The vanilla lemon buttercream goes really well with the delicious intense chocolate. I found it too much with the lemon cake, but perfect with the chocolate. I made the mini cupcakes in a mini muffin tin and they are so pretty the way they puff up with a perfect dome and stay that way!

Old School Chocolate Cupcakes from Vanilla Garlic
Makes 24 mini cupcakes plus 9 regular size! / 350 degree oven

1 cup of boiling water
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of butte(8 oz, 2 sticks), room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1) Pour boiling water over cocoa powder and mix throughly until smooth. Let cool.
2) Preheat the Oven to 350 f
2) Mix the flour, salt, baking soda and powder together.
3) Cream together the sugar and butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla. Add half the flour, mix briefly until just combined, then add the cocoa/water mix, mixing just until combined, then the rest of the flour and continue mixing slowly until combined. Do not overmix.
4) Place in cupcake papers to around 2/3 full, and bake for 18-22 minutes or 10 minutes for mini cakes until a cakes tester comes out clean. Let cook on a wire rack.


Buttercream (from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my home to yours)

1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature, almost melting
1/4 cup lemon juice
1tsp vanilla extract

Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a heat proof bowl over simmering water until hot to the touch, about 3 mins. Transfer to an electric mixer and whisk on medium until the mixture has cooled down, around 5 minutes. Change to a paddle and add the butter, stirring, one stick at a time, then beat on medium for a further 6-10 minutes. Add the lemon juice, followed by the vanilla. Put plastic wrap against the surface of the buttercream if not using immediately.