Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes

Well i'm ashamed to say that I am hopelessly addicted to P-Dub, and her cows and her punks and her yummy looking recipes that make me want to go cook something everytime I take a look at her website. For all of you who haven't yet read her blog, I would highly recommend it! but be warned its addictive! she has this sense of humor and down-to-earthness about her that is so refreshing. Go check her out, the pioneer woman, after you read the rest of this of course :).

Now the reason for this post. She recently had Bakerella come to the ranch and make cupcakes and thats where I found this recipe for her Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever. She made the recipe into cupcakes for them to decorate, and they had the nicest little dome and it was made up of ingredients that I always have on hand. So i decided to head into the kitchen and bake the family up a batch of them. I only made a half batch because although after trying them and wishing I had 12 more of them to eat, my hips are glad I only did half.

PW's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever (Cupcake edition)
(this is a 1/2 recipe that yields 12 cupcakes)

1 stick unsalted butter (she used salted, but i don't ever have salted in the house)
2 heaping tbsps cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt (adjusted because I used unsalted butter)
1/4 cup buttermilk ( or 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 tsp vinegar)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F/180C

In saucepan melt butter. While doing that put 1/2 cup of water in the micro. to boil. (takes about 1-2 minutes in mine). Add cocoa to butter and stir. Add in boiling water and let boil for 30 seconds. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Pour in chocolate mixture and mix together just until combined.

In glass measuring cup measure out buttermilk (or make sour milk mixture) add in egg and beat. Add in vanilla and baking soda and mix together well.

Pour into flour/chocolate mixture and mix well.

Divide into 12 cupcake papers and bake for 18-20 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

I didn't use the Frosting she used for her sheet cake, i just used my old standby chocolate frosting.

I will have to say these are really as good as she says they are. I will have to try out the sheet cake sometime with her frosting too! I'm sure its just as amazing!

Now go make some of these! Trust me!