Chocolate Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Buttercream

...or as my brother called them, Diabetes on a Plate.

I found this recipe in April and started looking through my calendar for the perfect occasion to make these delicious sounding cupcakes.  Dad's birthday is in May, so I managed to hold off for almost 6 weeks to try these fabulous cakes!

For this birthday, we went to Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe, which is a German restaurant in Sanford.  We didn't feel like we could bring our own dessert to the restaurant, which was delicious - if you like beer and are in Sanford, I recommend you go sometime.

The following day we went to the Country Club for lunch like we always do on Sundays, and I brought enough cupcakes for an army.  Unfortunately, it was just the four of us, so my brother took lots of cupcakes home with him :)

Chocolate Cupcakes

For the cupcakes, I used Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake Recipe.  It's easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 c Hershey's cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup boiling water (just microwave it for a minute)
• 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 c milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place baking cups in cupcake tin
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  I recommend using a bowl that has a spout to it.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water.  The batter will be extremely thin, and your bowl may be hot.  Carefully pour batter into cups until they are about 3/4 full.
3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick cups out clean.  Cool for about 10 minutes; remove from tins.  Wait until completely cool to frost.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buttercream

This recipe is from Good Thymes and Good Food.

Ingredients

• 3 sticks butter at room temperature
• 3/4 c light brown sugar
• 3 1/2 c confectioners sugar
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 T milk
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips

Steps

1.  Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy

2.  Mix in the confectioners sugar until smooth.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

3.  Ice cupcakes.  I like to use the Wilton 1M tip, this is the one that makes cupcakes look like they came from Publix.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find mine on Dad's birthday - maybe it's at his house?
4.  After icing, place 5-6 chocolate chips on the top of each cupcake.

These cupcakes need to be refrigerated because of all the ingredients in the frosting.

Enjoy!