Beth’s Chocolate Apricot Ginger Cupcakes
Makes almost 2 dozen
* 1 generous cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 generous cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 large eggs
* 3/4 scant cup warm water
* 3/4 scant cup buttermilk
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 small sauce pan full of blanched fresh apricots
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners or have non-stick cupcake pan ready.
Fill smallest sauce pan with quartered, pitted fresh apricots. Almost cover with warm water, boil briefly until soft. Strain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the warm water, buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and then apricot; stir batter until smooth.
Fill cups almost full using a half-cup measuring cup. Letting second batch rise while first batch is in oven is ideal.
Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 22-24 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but maybe out of fridge just while baking) with a bunch of peeled, shredded ginger (maybe one whole nub) and 1/3 – 1/2 bag of melted chocolate chips (45+30+30 seconds in microwave, stirring in between sessions).
