If I was stranded on a desert island...

... I know eXACtly what I would want to eat for the rest of my living days.

THIS CUPCAKE!

This, my friends, is a dark chocolate cupcake.

With peanut butter buttercream frosting.

I would like to first say, that regardless of whether your relationship status with chocolate and/or peanut butter ranges from "just friends" to "it's complicated", you will love, love, (do you HEAR me?!), LOOOOVE this cupcake.

The story goes like this...  Today at school we are having a teacher's potluck.  (On Wednesdays, the students are released at 1:10; then the teachers have an extended planning time.  Sometimes we are nice and have little social gatherings.)  Each grade level/department is assigned a different category of food.  My category is dessert.  I couldn't decide what to make.  Initially (as in "before 9:00 at night") I had thought about making one of those divine cheesecakes from last week during my "day as a stay at home mom" adventure.  However, that was not to be.  So instead I thought, "Hmm.  What could be simpler than cupcakes?"  And, in fact, this is perhaps one of the first times in my life that it was NOT a "famous last words" scenario.  They were actually not that complicated!

I began to search for a simple, yet divine chocolate cupcake recipe.  I stumbled upon a recipe called "One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes".  I was semi-skeptical, but I gave it a go (with a few alterations, of course).  So here it is.  Leah's version.  Leah's oh-so-very-deee-VINE version.

Sift the following together in a mixing bowl:

1 3/4 cups cake flour (it MUST be cake flour!)
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
 3/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa

Add the following:

2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk (yes, it MUST be buttermilk!)
3 tbls. canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Now, I'm hoping and praying that you have had the privilege of receiving (or purchasing) a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer at some point in your life prior to making these cupcakes.  If you like to bake-- even just a little-- you NEEEEED one of these.  Trust me.  You NEEEEED it!

Regardless of your mixer preference and/or availability, mix those ingredients together.  Blend until smooth.

Now comes a VERY important step.  Listen to me.  Stop.  I mean it.

LISTEN. TO. ME.

LET

IT

REST

Read that again.  (Did you read it again?!)  You MUST let your batter rest for at LEAST 30 minutes.  Read a couple of Psalms (who doesn't need a sweeter spirit to go along with this delectable dessert?!).  Go take a shower.  Watch a sit-com.  Fold some laundry.  Take a walk.  But do NOT do anything to that batter for a minimum of 30 minutes.  

OK, did you wait?  AFTER waiting, you may now fill your muffin pan (greased if naked) 2/3 full with the batter.  Oh, I forgot to mention something.  This batter will be VERY "runny".  I panicked a little when I saw how un-thick it was.  Stop panicking.  You're fine.

If you'd like to put a little treat inside your cupcake, now is the time.  Drop in some peanut butter chips (as I did) or perhaps a Reese's mini-cup (as I shall do next time).  Make sure it's undercover.

Bake for 10 minutes.  CAREfully rotate your pan 180 degrees.  Bake another 10-12 minutes.  Give it the ole' toothpick test.  But don't forget about your buried treasure.

Let them cool on a wire wrack completely.  Go ahead.  Try one.  I dare you.

Oh, don't worry.  We are going to frost them.  Oh my, oh my, are we going to frost.  But you'll have to stay tuned for that delight.  Wuh-ha-ha-ha!  *while rubbing hands together*  :)