A Year on Ladybug Farm Cupcakes

What inspired me to bake these cute and delicious cupcakes? Membership in a newly formed and, as yet, unnamed book club. I am really excited about this new adventure because, number one, it gives me a good excuse to read a book instead of, say, ironing or washing the dishes. As if I needed an excuse. Number two, I really like the other members. I know all of them, some better than others. They are women I am not around very often. We don't live in the same town, move in the same circles, or go to the same church. But I just know we are going to have the best time together! We chose A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball as our first "read." So when I saw these ladybug cupcakes in Martha Stewart"s book, Cupcakes, I knew I had to make them for our meeting to discuss the book. While Martha's recipe calls for a yellow cake, chocolate seemed to be a better choice since it is the color of good, rich dirt and grass grows from dirt, does it not?

While looking at another food blog, "Bake at 350," I saw that she, also, had made the ladybug cupcakes using chocolate cake and provided the recipe which I will share with you here. Have fun but be prepared to spend some time on these. The cupcakes themselves are easy...it's the decorating that took so long. Well, I never said I was a professional! Oh, and my sister, Marcelle, helped me.

Thanks, girlfriend.

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

3/4 cup dutch process cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark cocoa)

1 & 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 & 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F Place 18 liners in cupcake pans. Whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed about 3 minutes. Batter is very wet. It is easier to pour into cups if batter is transferred to a container with a spout. Fill cups 2/3'rds full. Bake 20 minutes. Cool completely on racks before frosting.

Here is the buttercream frosting recipe I usually use to decorate cakes:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar and beat well on medium, scraping down side and bottom of bowl often. Add milk and continue beating until light and fluffy. Keep frosting covered until ready to use. Refrigerate leftover frosting in airtight container up to 2 weeks. Rewhip before using. Makes 3 cups

To decorate the cupcakes, I tinted portions of frosting with Wilton colors Leaf Green, Red Red, and Black. I used Wilton tip # 233 to make the grass. Since I didn't have fondant or marzipan to make the ladybugs, I used a round tip to pipe an oval shape and let it dry a few minutes. Then I could pat the frosting into the ladybug shape. Next, I added the black head and spots.

As Marcelle and I usually do when we talk about recipes, we discuss what we might do differently, add or subtract to suit our tastes. As in this case, we couldn't help but think of other frostings that would be yummy on these moist, chocolatey cupcakes. Like, say, chocolate cream cheese, or peanut butter, or mocha, or 7 minute..............you get the picture.

Happy cooking!

Nan