I sent these cupcakes into the office with my husband, and they were a big hit. Think of a Reese's cup in cake format but with tang and depth. The cupcakes are sweet, but not cloyingly so. The frosting gives them a big sugar hit, but you can certainly omit it if you like. If you decide to add the frosting, keep in mind that it tastes like peanut butter fudge. Ummm. Nonetheless, if nuts aren't your thing, a simple vanilla or chocolate icing would work just fine.
Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes -- Makes 24
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of canola oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of plain, fat-free yogurt
1 cup of sourdough discard or starter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tins with paper or foil liners or coat the tins with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugars, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk the canola oil, eggs, vanilla, and yogurt together. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir to moisten everything. With a wooden spoon, stir in the discard/starter until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake the muffins for 22-26 minutes or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with only moist crumbs attached. Dust with confectioners' sugar or frost with peanut butter frosting or the icing of your choice.
Peanut Butter Frosting
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of chunky peanut butter
3-4 cups of confectioners' sugar
Peanuts or finely chopped peanuts (optional)
In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk, vanilla, and peanut butter until hot--about 45-60 seconds. Stir the hot milk, vanilla, and peanut better together until they're well blended. Add the confectioners' sugar gradually--a half cup at a time--beating each addition in well before adding in the next. If the mixture seems a little too thick, microwave it for 30 seconds and beat it again. You can dribble in a little more milk if necessary, a teaspoon at a time. Beat the mixture well after each addition of milk. If the frosting seems too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar and beat it again. Microwave the mixture for another 30 seconds and beat it again to help the frosting achieve a good spreading consistency. Spread the warm peanut butter frosting on top of the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a peanut or finely chopped peanuts if you like.
