Devil's Food Cupcakes

The Day: Saturday
The Theme: ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE
The Book: Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking
The Recipe: Devil's Food Cupcakes

The ingredients:
1 cup (125g) cake flour
1/3 cup (30g) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
6 tbsp (90g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (125g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (105g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk
  

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line 12 standard muffin-pan cups
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugar until light in color and fluffy (about 5 minutes).  Add the eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. 
4. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, fold in half of the flour mixture until almost fully incorporated. Add the buttermilk, followed by the remaining flour. Mix until well combined.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about three-fourths full.
6. Bake until the cake tester inserted in the center for the cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack  before applying any frosting. I used Whipped Cream Frosting.

Whipped Cream Frosting
1 cup whipping cream/heavy cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Using a stand mixer: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla. Put the whisk attachment and mixing bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes.
2. Beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form