American Idol and Cupcake Hero collide…
After taking a month off of cupcake hero, I’m back. This cupcake isn’t a creative recipe, but it does use cocoa powder! I have some other more creative ideas brewing in my head that I want to try out for another entry. BUT, I thought it was fitting to submit my Idol finale cupcakes. This is my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe. I actually got the recipe from the CH founder herself. I always add another level of chocolate by throwing in some chocolate chips at the end. They melt just enough to give a fudgey center to the cupcake. This recipe is so good and always turns out perfectly. My little sister has also made them with great success.
I threw these together for an American Idol finale party that I’m going to tonight. I’ve been a David Cook fan from the beginning. There was just something different about him that I was drawn to.
After last night’s performances, I’d have to say that I think David Archuletta is going to win. While this makes me sad, I know David Cook will get a record deal and he’ll be okay. I personally don’t think David Archuletta has what it takes to be a pop star. His voice and style lends himself more towards signing for Disney movies or at King’s Island or something like that. David Cook on the other hand could sell records today. Heck he could have started selling records after he performed Billy Jean a couple weeks ago. Although I do agree with Cooky critics that he may have peaked too early…
I whipped up some cream cheese frosting and added blue and silver sprinkles. And little David heads to the cupcakes. Hubby said the heads were kinda creepy, but I think they’re cute. I would have just put all David Cook heads on, but I figured some people at the party might not appreciate it.
Chocolate Cupcakes – recipe from Quirky Cupcake
Makes 12 to 15 cupcakes
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour – I use King Arthurs White Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder – I used Ghirardelli cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil – I used 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesuace
1 cup cold water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vinegar
3/4 cup chocolate chips + 1 Tbsp flour
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a 12-cupcake tin with foil or paper liners and set aside. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure and mix together the oil, water, and vanilla.
Mix the chocolate chips and flour in a ziploc bag or tupperware container. Shake until chips are coated by flour. This is prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcake while baking.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the baking pan and mix the batter with a fork or a small whisk. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter where the baking soda and the vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Working quickly, distribute the batter into the foil- or paper-lined 12-cupcake tin. If you have leftover batter (depending on how high you fill the liners) you can make a few extra cupcakes by using a few foil liners on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes. Set the cupcakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese at room temp – I used Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
1/2 stick butter at room temp – I used Earth Balance
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar
Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
Add vanilla extract.
Slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I love freezing dough but somehow most ends up in my tummy unbaked when I do that 🙂
What a great gift! I’m thinking that would be wonderful for all sorts of occasions. Thanks for the idea!
These are adorable and I love that idea! Two questions, though: 1) Were these as good as the cookies from the other recipes? and 2) When you freeze them, do you bake right from frozen?
Great questions Carly – As far as comparing them to the other cookies. I enjoyed the chocolate M&M cookies the best, but they were REALLY chocolatey. The other non-chocolate M&M cookies were a bit more chewy and they had nuts in them, so they had a different vibe. This recipe was more of a classic M&M cookie for sure.
As far as baking from frozen, you can def just go straight from freezer to oven. Bake them ~13 minutes instead of ~11 and take them out when they look done.
these were delicious!
they look so cute all frozen up 🙂
I love the pink and red M&Ms. Thanks for the idea of freezing the cookie dough.
I was going to ask you the same thing as Carly, well the first question. These cookies are cute. Your freezing method reminded me that I have a bunch of sugar cookies still in the freezer! Do you know how long cookies can stay in the freezer?
I don’t know how long they will last in the freezer. I have a tendency to forget about things in my freezer… I’d guess a couple months? Anyone have ideas?
What festive little cookies 🙂 I love them! I also like the fact that you froze them. I bet they were delicious. Make sure to enter the All Through the Year Cheer event for Valentine’s Day 🙂
I think that sounds like a great way to spend valentine’s day. It can be intimidating the way it’s so hyped up. The cookies look very festive, love ’em!
We don’t do “valentine’s day” either since my MIL was born on the 14th and daughter’s birthday is the 15th – besides, its more important to say you love someone everyday, not just one day out of the year. Love the idea about freezing the cookie dough in preshaped form and giving that away. Wonderful idea!
I am looking for cookies that travel well for my soldier adopted through Soldier’s Angels and these look like a winner!!
Mmm, these were so tasty! Happy Valentine’s Day!
These are just too cute!! I love M&M cookies too!!
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Just had to add my two cents on the idea of giving cookie dough frozen and ready to be baked – genius! For some reason, I’ve never thought of that, even though I’ve given cookies frozen to people to be defrosted when they’re ready to eat. I love the dough idea!
YUM-these look absolutely delicious! I love the pink and red M&Ms!