Mmmmelted Chocolate Marble Cupcakes

By Carly

It was my brother’s birthday earlier this week. Even though he’s thousands of miles away from where I am right now, I wasn’t about to pass up a chance to make and eat cupcakes.

He requested marble, so I improvised. These may not be as beautiful as the marble cupcakes you see in stores (OK, so they’re kind of globby, to be honest), but they taste better, and the melted chocolate is the finishing touch of magic that no store can give you.

To make 6 small cupcakes, here’s what you need: ½ cup flour, ¼ cup plus one tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, ¼ cup very hot water, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1/8 tsp salt, ½ tsp vanilla, 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons sour cream, about 1 ½ ounces of chocolate, and a tiny bit of milk or cream.

First, preheat the oven to 350. Combine the dry ingredients—the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Next, combine the wet ingredients—the vanilla, egg yolk, butter, water, and sour cream.

Mix the two together. Get rid of lumps if at all possible. An electric mixer will make everything nice and fluffy, but it’s not necessary.

Finally, melt the chocolate. You can use the microwave—chop the chocolate into bits first if it’s solid, then pour in the tiny bit (1-2 teaspoons) of milk or cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Nuke it for about 45 seconds, then in periods of 15-20 seconds, stirring after each time, until it’s nice and smooth.

Fill your muffin tin or muffin cups with the batter, then use a knife to glop in the chocolate. You can stir it around inside each cup if you want, but it likely won’t dissolve much. It doesn’t matter. Your tastebuds will thank you later.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, then enjoy those pockets of melted chocolate. Mmmmmmm.