Chocolate Cupcakes w/ White Chocolate Icing

Cupcake recipe adapted from food network recipes

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Cake Flour
• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (preferably Dutch Process)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• Mini Chocolate Chips (optional for batter, and decorating cupcakes)

*Makes approximately 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

White Chocolate Icing Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 ounces White Chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
• 1/4 cup Milk or Heavy Cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 ounces Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
• Pinch Salt

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In an electric mixer, beat the sugar and mayonnaise until well blended. Add the vanilla and blend.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. And the dry mixture to the mayonnaise mixture in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk.

4. Mix in desired about of chocolate chips if desired.

5. Scoop batter into your prepared cupcake pans (approximately 3/4 full). Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester (toothpick) comes out clean. Oven times may vary, so keep an eye on it.

6. Let cool completely at room temperature before frosting with the white chocolate icing. Frost with the icing and decorate with mini chocolate chips if desired.

White Chocolate Icing Directions:

1. Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. A double boiler is a bowl sitting on top of a pot of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water at all.

2. Sift the confectioner's suger into a bowl. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Add the butter and salt and beat until smooth and creamy

3. Stir in the cooled white chocolate until smooth and creamy. If the icing is too soft, refrigerate until firm enough to frost the cupcakes.