Favorite Fudge Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I'm sure you all know by now how much my family loves the "Favorite Fudge Birthday Cake" recipe from King Arthur Flour! Last night Bart wanted to bring a treat in for a coworker's birthday. I thought cupcakes would be easier to serve at work, so I used our favorite chocolate cake recipe for cupcakes. It worked great! I made a different recipe for the frosting than I usually use. It tasted just like an Italian-meringue buttercream, but it was MUCH simpler to make. We prefer our buttercream a little less buttery and a little more sweet, so I just added some extra powdered sugar at the end until we liked the taste. It didn't harm the texture at all--in fact, this buttercream has an extremely silky, light texture that makes it easy to work with. I highly recommend using a stand mixer for the frosting.

Favorite Fudge Cupcakes

2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Instant ClearJel or cornstarch (I always use Instant ClearJel)
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

Preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin pans with paper baking liners.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually add the water, beating until smooth. Put the batter into the prepared liners (I use my muffin scoop--about 1/4 cup per cupcake depending on the size of your pan).

Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean or cake feels done when lightly touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pan and place them on a rack to cool completely.

Buttercream Frosting

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (ONLY if you use unsalted butter)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) boiling water
1/4 cup(1 ounce) meringue powder
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (if desired)
4-8 cups (1 to 2 pounds) powdered sugar
2 cups (4 sticks, 1 pound) soft butter

Dissolve the sugar (and salt if you're using it) in the boiling water, and cool to room temperature. Mix in the meringue powder. Beat on low speed of an electric mixer for several minutes, until the powder dissolves and the mixture is foamy. Increase the speed and beat until soft peaks form. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract, then the confectioners' sugar. Add the soft butter a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Taste and add additional powdered sugar if desired (I added a little over 1 pound extra). Swirl the icing onto the cupcakes.