Jumbo Hydrangea Chocolate Cupcakes

A birthday is certainly a reason to celebrate with cake!! There is just something about cake, that makes everyone very happy! I know it makes me happy to make cake – for pretty much any occasion. I made these jumbo hydrangea chocolate cupcakes, and brought them in to the office today to celebrate my good friend, and manager, Colleen. The cupcakes were made with my Mom’s chocolate no-egg cake recipe. I made them jumbo, well… just because that seemed like the right thing to do! Afterall, who doesn’t like MORE chocolate cake in their cupcake??

The no-egg chocolate cake recipe is wonderfully moist, and chocolatey. However, it is not a recipe that results in a nice “rounded” cupcake top. For that you will need to use another recipe. I love the taste and texture of this one, so chose to decorate them with a hydrangea pattern made with a Wilton 2D or 1M tip. I used my butter cream cheese frosting recipe, colored with pink/blue/purple paste food colors. You can use any color combination that will resemble a hydrangea.

Chocolate no-egg cake recipe
Makes 12 jumbo size cupcakes

2 c sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
3 c flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 c water

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. (I do tend to combine the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ingredients. I’m a victim of habit I guess!) Mix on med/high using a whisk attachment, until well blended, about 2-3 min. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Line cupcake pans with 12 paper liners. Fill 3/4 with batter, using 2 large icecream scoops. Bake for 25-27 min. Check for doneness using a toothpick inserted into center of 1 cupcake – toothpick should come out clean. Remove from oven, and cool completely.

Prepare 1 recipe of butter cream cheese frosting.

Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter (room temp)
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add butter, cream cheese, and flavoring to a stand mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until very smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Start the mixer on LOW (you can even pulse it a few times, to incorporate the sugar into the creamed mixture, to avoid the sugar going all over you and the counter!) Then mix on med – med high, til well-blended. Once all 4 cups of sugar are incorporated, blend on high til there is a smooth, whipped appearance.

Color pink/blue/purple as desired. Place all 3 colors side by side into a piping bag, with a closed or open star tip 1M or 2D. Start in the center of the cupcake, and pipe 1 small flower at a time, in a circle pattern until entire top of cupcake is covered. It’s just 1 quick squeeze for each tiny flower. When combined tightly, they create an amazing hydrangea flower! Each one will have a unique color combination!