DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHERRY BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Line 24 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners.
• In a medium saucepan, combine butter, chopped chocolate, and cocoa powder.
• Cook over med-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth; cool for 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs at high speed with a mixer until thick and pale.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• Gradually add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
• Stir in butter-chocolate mixture.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
• Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
• Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, make buttercream--in the top of a double boiler, whisk sugar and egg whites until combined.
• Cook over simmering water until mixture reaches 140° on a candy thermometer; do not stir.
• Immediately pour mixture into the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer.
• Beat at high speed for 10 minutes; decrease speed to med-low.
• With mixer running, add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.
• Add cherry-flavored syrup, beating until combined.
• Keep buttercream at room temperature until ready to frost cupcakes.
• Pipe or spread Cherry Buttercream over cupcakes.
• Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 5 days.