Yellow Birthday Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting for Sarah!

One of my best friends and most dedicated fellow food/NY exploration enthusiasts, Sarah, just turned 23 and celebrated with a party at Luca Lounge on Avenue B. I couldn't let Sarah's birthday celebration happen without some form of cake and candles and this finely gave me a good excuse to go Martha on everyone and use a cupcake tree that I have. So a ton of butter and sugar later, I had 36 cupcakes and 40 thumbprint cookies with strawberry jam! Here is a picture of Sarah with friends, she is obviously the one with the pink crown.

In this next picture the cupcakes are glorified and standing proud above their lesser food brethren in their own tiered tree! In the front corners we have their thumbprint cookie friends.

And an up close of the tree....sorry folks, it's my first time using this tree and I'm mildly obsessed.

I am ever so thankful to my boyfriend's wonderful grandma, Bess, for giving me an electric mixer for the holidays. Without this mixer, the frosting and cupcakes would not have come together as they did. Here is a picture of the mixer. THANK YOU BESS!

Yellow Birthday Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Yellow Butter Cupcakes

Makes 36 cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups fake eggs

3 large egg yolks

2 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk

3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

SPRINKLES

Directions:

For cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy (woohooo for electric mixers!). Add eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition.

2. Reduce the speed to low. Mix in the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is getting incorporated. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each to just below the top. 

3. Bake the cupcakes until a tester comes out clean from the center, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool on wire racks before applying the frosting.

For the frosting:

1. In the bowl beat butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add chocolate until just combined. Add milk, vanilla, and sugar; mix on medium until well combined, being careful not to over mix.