Courtney and I are working on a couple of graduation cakes for a friend’s twin daughters (I’ll post the cakes later today or tomorrow) and we needed some cupcakes in order to make some graduation caps so this is a recipe from my big file of recipes that I hope to have time to make one day.  It’s from the January 21, 2011 issue of All You magazine.

1 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, optional

1  Heat oven to 350.  Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.  In bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

2  Using electric mixer on high, beat egg whites in clean, dry bowl until stiff peaks form.  Rinse and dry beaters.  In separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light.  Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each.  Beat in vanilla.  With mixer on medium-low, beat in 1/3 flour mixture, then 1/2 buttermilk.  Repeat, ending with flour.

3  Fold in 1/3 egg whites.  Fold in remaining whites and chocolate chips.

4  Scoop batter into muffin cups; bake until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean, 18 – 20 minutes.  Let cool in pan 5 minutes then move to rack to cool completely.  Sift powdered sugar over cupcakes, if desired.

Optional add in – dissolve 1 – 2 teaspoons instant coffee or instant espresso in vanilla before beating it in.

Makes 12 cupcakes