Happy February! Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I figured we’d start the month off a double dose of chocolatey goodness.
Ingredients
Cake
6 T. butter
1/4 c. non-fat Greek yogurt
3 eggs
2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 ½ c. low-fat buttermilk
Frosting
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
4 T. butter, softened
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. low-fat milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
4-4 ½ c. powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease or line 2 12-cup muffin tins. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and yogurt on medium for 30 seconds.
- Beat in sugars until combined.
- Add eggs, beating well to combine.
- Beat in extracts.
- Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beating on low speed just until combined.
- Scoop batter into the prepared tins filling them 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in pan, and then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
- To make the frosting, beat together mascarpone cheese, butter, cocoa powder, milk, and extracts on low for 30 seconds in a large bowl.
- Increase speed to medium and beat until well-combined.
- Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
- Beat additional milk or powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach spreadable consistency.
- If piping, refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until stiff enough to pipe.
- Refrigerate leftover cupcakes.
