The triplets just celebrated their birthday and I made these cupcakes for one of my son’s classes.    He asked for “Worms in Dirt” cupcakes.  This (above) is how I frosted them prior to adding the worms (crushed chocolate wafer cookies) and dirt (gummy worms).   The after picture is below.  He was so happy and almost all of the children in the class loved them.  I tried a new chocolate frosting and I thought it was delicious.  It was nice and fluffy and did very well when piped from a pastry bag.  I find it much faster to frost cupcakes using a pastry bag then it is to frost manually by hand.  I think they look better too.

I used my go-to vanilla cupcake recipe for the cupcakes.  Yum!

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.

You can store any unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container; let it come to room temperature and then give it a quick whip in the mixer before using.

Yield: Enough frosting for 12 cupcakes

One year ago: Chipotle Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans
Two years ago: Oatmeal, Cranberry and Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Three years ago: Crisp Roasted Potatoes
Four years ago: Herbed Basmati Rice
Five years ago: Grandma Sachs’ Crumb Cake