Dark Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 12)
http://rebeccmeister.livejournal.com/325860.html

* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
* 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Valrhona or Scharffen Berger; the richer the better)
* 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa (Scharffen Berger; the Dutch-process is important)
* 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) cake flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature
* 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) fine or superfine (caster) sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon table salt
* 1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream, at room temperature

1-Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Get your muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. Have all ingredients at room temperature (this is pretty important, so don't cheat).

2-Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, and then set it aside to cool for a bit.

3-Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine, and set to the other side.

4-Take the butter and cream it with the sugar. Devote a good couple of minutes to creaming; this is the step that will give your little bundles of deliciousness their tender crumb. Watch the butter and sugar as you cream to see how they transform into a fluffy, smooth blend. Then add in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt and continue to cream. Add in the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until combined--it might take a little while, but you want a nice, smooth batter. 

5-Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and mix until just combined; then mix in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and mix until batter is homogeneous and thick. Take heed: when baking, your goal is to prevent the flour from getting glutinous, the opposite of when you are making bread. So for tender baked goods, the flour is added at the end and barely stirred in. This batter is really thick and fluffy when it's ready to go and it doesn't take much mixing at all to blend in the flour. I'd recommend staying away from electric mixers when doing the final mix because they tend to overmix.

6-Use an ice cream scoop or similar device to divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean (for me, that's aproximately 17 minutes). Special note: do not open the oven during the first 12 minutes or so of baking. The cupcakes need to be in a really evenly heated environment while they bake, or else they will overflow or collapse or other disasters of a horrific scale may occur. After that point it's okay to open the oven and check on them.

7-Cool cupcakes in pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes. (To frost: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Note: Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture. Also, a quarter-recipe makes a good amount of frosting for 12 cupcakes. You could make a 1/2 recipe if you want to eat it straight out of the bowl. Again, having the butter nice and squishy is important.

Ingredients:
-1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
-6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
-1/2 cup milk
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. Beat this stuff on medium speed (if you're using a mixer) until it's smooth and creamy, which will take 3-5 minutes. Gradually add in the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture has the desired consistency. Beat well for a few more moments. Use and store the icing at room temperature--it will set if chilled. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

Bon appetit.