Marble Cupcakes - #8

{Is this not the cutest, sweetest little helper ya ever did see???}

So, I attempted Martha's Marble Cupcakes awhile back. Obviously didn't think to post about it because, well, I wasn't a fan. I used some dark chocolate cocoa, which I will NEVER buy again. IcK! I do think maybe I'll try these again, but use the cocoa I normally buy, and not that dark chocolate stuff. Martha tops these with sifted powdered sugar, but I'm guessing frosting would be good, too. Go ahead, give 'em a try... but getcha a good cocoa. :)

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients: Makes 16 cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup milk, room temperature, 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature, 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, room temperature, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1/4 cup boiling water, Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Stir together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk and cream.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk mixture, and beating until combined.

3. To make chocolate batter, measure out 1 cup batter, and transfer to another bowl. Combine cocoa and the boiling water in a bowl. Stir into reserved 1 cup batter.

4. Fill prepared cups with alternating spoonfuls of vanilla and chocolate batter, filling each three-quarters full. Run the tip of a paring knife or wooden skewer through batter in a figure-eight motion to make swirls. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are golden and a cake tester (i.e. toothpick) inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

5. To finish dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.