Chocolate Basil Cupcakes With Toasted Almond Buttercream Frosting

This is my second guest post at Meals; for Moderns, my friend Becky's awesome vegetarian food blog. As I mentioned before, I'm doing a series of three recipes that highlight fresh herbs in tasty baked goods.

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Over the past year or so--since I've started exploring the potential of the kitchen, especially in the realm of delicious and interesting baked goods--I've learned (from experience, mind you) that the following items do not substitute for a food processor:

• A Kitchenaid mixer--neither the whisk nor the knead attachment
  
• A fork
• Two forks
  
• A hammer

I've I wanted to try a basil-chocolate cake recipe for a while now (something about how basil borders on an almost licorice-like flavor made it seem like a good complement to a velvety chocolate cake). I knew I'd need a food processor (not a hammer) to do it--I kept reading over and over that the way to go is to finely chop basil with granulated sugar using a food processor. I wasn't so sure I was ready to commit to an actual food processor, though. It seems like something that adults get when they're comfortable and settled in a place, and I'm not ready to admit that I'm an adult who's never leaving San Francisco (even though it's true).

But, because I kind of promised Becky that I would blog about using fresh herbs in baked goods, and because I told her about the basil chocolate cupcake idea and she got excited, I felt like I had no choice. I had pretty much backed myself into a corner, and probably on purpose so I would actually do it. And I did: I broke down and bought a cute, 3-cup, royal blue food processor this weekend. I immediately fell in love.

To really take the food processor thing to the next level, I came up with a frosting recipe that would use it, too. (I might as well call these "food processor cupcakes.") But if you're not a nut fan, a simple vanilla buttercream would pair nicely with the cake as well (and wouldn't require additional food processor time).

Chocolate Basil Cupcakes With Toasted Almond Buttercream Frosting

(Note: I accidentally bought jumbo baking cups at Safeway, so I ended up making 17 gigantic cupcakes instead of two-dozen or so normal-sized cupcakes. That also explains why they turned out kind of ugly and misshapen. In a non-jumbo world, this recipe would probably make 24-36 cupcakes.)



The Cupcake Part

This recipe is adapted from epicurious.com. It rivals my all-time favorite chocolate stout layer cake recipe from the same place--in fact, I might go so far as to say it's better.

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c unsweetened baking cocoa
1/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c boiling water
2 c sugar
1 c fresh basil leaves
3 large eggs
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with (NOT JUMBO! Please!!) baking cups.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, add cocoa and chocolate chips. Pour the 1 c boiling water over the cocoa/chocolate chip mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a food processor, chop 1 c of sugar and the fresh basil until the sugar turns an even bright green color.

In a mixer, beat the 1 c basil/sugar mixture, the remaining 1 c sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy. Add butter to the mixture and beat until blended. Beat in the cocoa mixture. Add whipping cream and vanilla; beat to blend. Mix in dry ingredients on low until just blended.

Fill muffin tins until about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes (I think--the jumbo cupcakes took 30 minutes...), or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.

The Frosting Part

This is a simple, straightforward adaptation of the quick buttercream frosting recipe on the Food Network website.

2 c raw almonds
3 c confectioners' sugar
1 c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread almonds out on a baking sheet and toast for 5-10 minutes, or until the almonds brown. Let almonds cool for 2 minutes, then grind in food processor with 1 c of confectioners' sugar until fine.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix, on low speed, almond/sugar mixture, the remaining 2 c of confectioners' sugar, and butter until well-blended. Increase speed to to medium and beat for 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and whipping cream and continue to beat for another 1 minute more. Add more cream as necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency.