Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting

Photo by Katie Kay

These were my first Martha cupcakes, and they were surprisingly tasty.  I thought they sounded bland, (a boring white cupcake with chocolate chips in it?  Eh.) but the batter tasted like a thinner version of real cookie dough!  Once they cooked, they were wonderfully light and fluffy.  The dark chocolate frosting was the perfect compliment, tasting like softly melted chocolate chips.

Photo by Katie Kay

This recipe makes a huge batch--30 cupcakes!  Sadly, I did something wrong and only 6 were edible.  Perhaps I exaggerate, but without a doubt, only 6 were worthy of sharing with others.  I thought I had over cooked them because the bottoms were all so dark and had a burnt smell.  Then I unwrapped one and realized the chocolate chips had fallen to the bottoms of the cupcakes and had ever-so-slightly burned in the pan.  The rest of the cupcake was fluffy and gorgeous...sans chocolate chips.
Strangely enough, I had a 6-pack muffin tin by itself on the top shelf of my oven, and that one had 6 perfect cupcakes with perfect chip distribution.  So maybe the secret is to cook the cupcakes in the upper 1/3 of the  oven.
I have another cake recipe that calls for chocolate chips, and I had the same problem with them sinking to the bottom.  I very effectively solved this problem by using mini chocolate chips.  Maybe they're lighter and don't fall, I don't know.  But it worked!
Next time I try these, I'll make the 2 revisions above.  If you have any other ideas or tips, I'm open to hearing  them!

Photo by Katie Kay

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
3 1/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp cake flour 4 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk 14 Tbsp butter (1 3/4 sticks), room temp 1 3/4 cup sugar 5 large egg whites, room temp 12oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (I would use mini)
Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with 30 paper liners.  Whisk together 3 1/3 cups cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
Add vanilla to milk.  Set aside.
In a mixer, cream butter until smooth, add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.  Add dry flour mixture in 3 additions with the milk in between, beginning and ending with the flour.
In another bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter until combined.  Gently fold in the rest of the whites.  Toss chocolate chips with the remaining tablespoon of cake flour, then gently fold into batter.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, then bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool before frosting.
Dark Chocolate Frosting From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp boiling water 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp 1/2 cup powdered sugar pinch of salt 1lb good quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted over a double boiler and cooled
Combine cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl, stir until combined.
Cream butter in a mixer, then add salt and powdered sugar.  Beat until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed and add powdered sugar.  Beat in melted chocolate, then cocoa mixture.  Combine, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 1 month in an airtight container.  Before using, bring to room temp and beat on low speed until smooth again.