Free Deep Dark Chocolate by Sara Perry

as needed. Use an inverted shallow roasting pan to cover the cakes until serving time. These cakes taste best when allowed to rest 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

    Wedding Cupcakes with Wedding-Party Frostings
    makes 12 cupcakes

    FOR BETTER OR FOR BEST, AT YOUR NEXT WEDDING, SKIP the high-rise, frou-frou fondant cake and go for tiers of delicious, dark chocolate cupcakes decorated with an array of great-tasting frostings. This is a cake your guests will actually eat and remember…plus, there’ll be no fighting over the largest slice.
    A note on the party cups called for in this recipe, and a word of praise for Cheryl Porro: Cheryl is a software engineer by day and the author of www.cupcakeblog.com . I came upon her Web site and was immediately taken by her cupcake liners, which she explains are Wilton’s standard-size “Nut & Party” cups. Check them out in Sources or on Cheryl’s site. They’re nifty.
    Adding the small amount of Dutch-process cocoa powder here gives the cupcakes a darker color. If you don’t have any, it’s fine to leave it out.

    1 / 3 cup premium unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 tablespoon premium unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (optional)
    ½ cup very hot coffee
1 cup all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    Pinch of salt
    6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    2 / 3 cup granulated sugar
    1 large egg, at room temperature
    1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
    ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    Wedding-Party Frostings

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange twelve 3¼-ounce, 2-inch paper party cups on a large, heavy-duty baking sheet or add liners to a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
    In a small bowl, combine the unsweetened cocoa, the Dutch-process cocoa (if desired) and the coffee. Stir until well blended and let rest for 5 minutes. In another small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
    In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer set on low speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the whole egg and egg yolk, one at a time, until fully blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla until blended.
    Stir the coffee-cocoa mixture again and beat it into the butter mixture in increments, alternating with the dry ingredients, until just blended and smooth. Scrape down the bowl again. Divide the batter equally between the cups, filling each ¾ full. Bake until a tester inserted in the middle comes out just clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

    Bachelor’s Perfect Peanut Butter
    makes about 2 1 / 4 cups
    6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into pieces
    1 / 3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
    ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
    ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
    1 cup chopped peanuts, plain, dry-roasted, or lightly salted (optional)
    Make sure the cream cheese and butter are not too warm or the frosting will be too soft. In a stand mixer set on low speed, combine the cream cheese, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. To finish, increase the speed to medium-high for 30 seconds. To frost, top each cupcake with a generous amount of frosting. To decorate, sprinkle with the chopped peanuts, if desired, and press them lightly into the frosting. Serve at room temperature.
    Wedding-Party Frostings The-Bride-Wore-White Coconut
    makes about 2 1 / 3 cups
    8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into pieces
    ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
    ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    Scant ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
    2 cups sifted powdered sugar
4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
    Make sure the cream cheese and butter are not too warm or the frosting will be too soft. In a stand mixer set on low speed, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and almond extract. Slowly add the