Easter Cupcakes 

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

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• 2.25 oz (64 g) Dutch cocoa powder

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• 8 oz (227 g) water

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• 3 (3) large eggs

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• 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract

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• 4 oz (113 g) Mayonaise

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• 14 oz (397 g) Unbleached cake flour

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• 15 oz (425 g) granulated sugar

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• 2 tsp (2 tsp) baking powder

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• 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda

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• 1 tsp (1 tsp) salt

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• 6 oz (170 g) unsalted butter at room temperature

Instructions

Cake Instructions

• Bring the water to a boil. Add in cocoa powder.

  Whisk until smooth then add in cold mayonnaise, vanilla and eggs. Whisk to break up the eggs. 
• Weigh out all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt) and place into a stand mixer bowl and attach the paddle attachment.
• Turn mixer on low (setting 1 on Kitchen Aid mixers). Add in your room temperature butter in small chunks. Combine on low until you achieve a sandy mixture.
• Add 1/2 of your liquid ingredients into your dry ingredients and mix on medium for 2 minutes. If you do not do this step, your cake could collapse.
• Turn your mixer back down to low and add in the rest of your liquids slowly. Stop once or twice to scrape the bowl as needed.

  Once they are all combined, turn back up to medium for another 30 seconds.
• Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans prepared with your choice of pan release. I prefer cake goop. 
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350ºF depending on how big your pans are. The bigger the pan, the longer it will take for them to bake. 

  When a toothpick comes out of the center with a few sticky crumbs on it, the cake is done.
• After the cakes have cooled for about 10 minutes, or the pans have cooled to the point they can be touched, flip the cakes over and remove from the pans onto a cooling rack to cool completely. I cover mine in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out why they cool.
• Once the cakes are completely cool you can trim them and frost them.  
  Source: https://sugargeekshow.com/wprm_print/14449
  

Chocolate Buttercream 

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 3 to 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. With a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat butter on high speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy and lightened in color, scraping down the bowl as needed.
2. Add confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tbsp heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp salt.
3. Beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated then increase to medium/high speed and beat for 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times to ensure everything is well blended. Add another Tablespoon of heavy cream if needed to thin the frosting. 

Source: https://natashaskitchen.com/wprm_print/71360