Chocolate Cupcakes

I cannot wait for Martha's new Cupcake Cookbook to come out. Yes, I love Martha Stewart and for the most part all of her recipes turn out well. This is a bonus when making something you have never made before. Back to this recipe, Ransome has been wanting cupcakes this week and I have just been too busy, sad to say that I have not made him any until today. June is coming up and we have 4 birthdays in our family in June, the idea of cake in any form is not appealing right now. I will be baking CAKES next month for Ransome on the 8th, Raven and the 21st, Mom on the 25th , and Raine on the 27th. That is a lot of baking but I do love making decorated cakes!! This is practice for Raven's cake, she loves chocolate cake and I had to try this recipe before then anyway. The icing on the cupcakes is a butter cream and is really good on chocolate cupcakes. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this Memorial Day!

Needed:

1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 butter flavored Crisco
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream together in your Kitchen Aide Mixer the following, Crisco and sugar, once creamy add the eggs one at a time, applesauce, and sour cream. When all of this is mixed well add sifted mixture a little at a time until well mixed. Now place 1/3 cup of mixture into a lined muffin pan, this will make 12 cupcakes. Bake at 350' for 20 minutes. Cool completely and then ice with butter cream frosting!