You know what the best part of a birthday is?
You guessed it. Cake.
Since my sisters and I were itty bitty kids, my mother baked. Almost every day. We were very lucky. She did daycare out of our house so we were blessed with having baked goods and spending time with our cousins whom she watched as well.
We always had our choice of dessert for our birthdays. My choice was always a real cake. No ice cream cake for this girl. Some cakes were very elaborate. And some were just layer cakes. They ALL tasted amazing.
Now, it’s not my birthday but I recently made some cupcakes for someone else’s birthday. In my book nothing beats a chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting. And, of course, sprinkles. Because you can’t have a birthday without sprinkles. You just can’t…
I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe for these. Find it here. As for the chocolate buttercream, I have tried a few different recipes and variations and by far, my favorite is one by Jaclyn at Cooking Classy. Love her site. Check it out. Then make these cupcakes. Even if it’s not your birthday.
Chocolate Buttercream
recipe adapted from Jaclyn at Cooking Classy
1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), room temp*
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3-5 Tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium high speed until pale and fluffy. Sift in cocoa powder and then add powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp heavy cream and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed and add additional heavy cream until desired consistency is reached. Increase mixer speed to medium high and continue to whip until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes.
*A note about the butter I use. I use a butter from a dairy farm in Wisconsin. It is salted. In the original recipe Jaclyn does split up the butter and uses 1 cup of unsalted and 1/2 cup salted butter. If you only have unsalted you could add a dash of salt to the buttercream. I wouldn’t use all salted butter since this could end up being too salty.
Here is evidence of my sprinkle addiction. Can’t help but use each kind of rainbow sprinkles.
You know what the best part of baking for someone else’s birthday is?
Always making sure there is at least one extra for myself!!!
Enjoy!
Ann