Ugh. You know what I really want to do right now?
Besides gorge on tacos, binge a Felicity marathon and go on a shoe shopping spree, I want to face-plant into this frosting.
My cousin described the filling as “like E.L. Fudge filling on crack.” Remember E.L. Fudge? That store-bought cookie used to be my favorite. It reminds me of visiting Mother Lovett, who always had a package in her cupboard along with yellowed newspaper recipes, an over-sweet can of Nestea and two boxes of oatmeal cream pies. I could never decide whether I loved or hated those cookies, but they were part of the charm.
As a first-born, my brain tends to overthink these things.
I wasn’t always into almond cake. Growing up, my mom loved an almond torte from our local grocery store and I’d enjoy a slice—but only one slice would last me for a long time. I live by the motto “give me chocolate or give me death” (and add peanut butter to that), so almond desserts rarely won me over.
Wedding cakes were no exception—few featured almond, and mine certainly didn’t. Of course I went full chocolate: an over-the-top chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling, white chocolate frosting and white chocolate curls. I am, after all, the queen of excess.
The turning point? Almond cake paired with chocolate frosting. That combination made me realize almond cake isn’t the issue—the frosting is. White frosting on almond doesn’t excite me, but chocolate frosting changes everything. Suddenly almond cake sounds irresistible.
Almond cake with chocolate frosting? Now that’s something I can get behind, on top of, and right in the middle of.
Sugared Almond Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Yield:
16 cupcakes
20 mins
15 mins
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Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup milk
Frosting
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons milk, if needed
Sugared Toasted Almonds
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg white and sugar until smooth. Gradually whisk in the melted butter, then add vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in dry ingredients until combined, then add milk and stir to a smooth batter. Using a 1/4-cup measure or ice cream scoop, fill liners three-quarters full. Bake 12–15 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat the butter in a mixer on medium until creamy. On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then increase speed once combined. Add vanilla and beat on medium, scraping the bowl as needed, for 2–3 minutes. If too thick, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth. If too thin, add more powdered sugar until spreadable. Frost cupcakes and top with sugared almonds.
Sugared Toasted Almonds
- Heat a small skillet over medium and add almonds. Toss constantly and toast 1–2 minutes until they begin to brown. Lower heat, add brown sugar and stir to coat. Cook another minute, then remove to a bowl to cool. Once hardened, break apart and sprinkle over the frosted cupcakes.
Notes
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*Someone please make this happen. Puhlease.