Brownie Heart Cupcakes

From:Martha Stewart

Transform chocolate brownies into decadent cupcakes for a Valentine's Day sweet certain to induce a smile. They're perfect for an office party for 20 or a quiet dinner for two.


Yield: Makes 24

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, cooking spray


• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt


• 3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces


• 12 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped


• 3 cups sugar


• 6 large eggs, room temperature


• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract


• Basic Buttercream

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment, then spray parchment.

Step 2

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until chocolate melts.

Step 3

Attach bowl to mixer, add sugar, and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture.

Step 4

Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Spread remaining batter in square pan. Bake until set but still soft, about 18 minutes. Let cool in tins and pan on wire racks.

Step 5

Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Cut out 24 hearts from brownie in pan using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Top each cupcake with a heart.

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