Football Cupcakes

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, these cupcakes is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Make the Cupcakes

1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

   

2. Beat together the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. 

   

3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in thirty-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted. 

   

4. Add the chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until combined. 

   

5. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and beat until combined. 

   

6. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. 

   

7. Whisk together the sour cream and milk. 

   

8. Add half of the dry mixture to the butter mixture followed by half of the milk mixture. Then repeat. Mix until combined and the batter is completely moistened. 

   

9. Scoop the batter into the liners until they are 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick will come out clean when you stick it into the middle of one of the cupcakes. 

   

10. Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly and then remove them from the cupcake tin and place them on a cooling rack. Place in the freezer to speed up the cooling process. 

Make the Frosting and Decorate

1. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. 

   

2. Beat the butter until it is whipped. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Set aside about a 1/2 cup of the frosting to reserve it for the white laces of the “football.”

   

3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in thirty-second increments until completely melted. Add the melted chocolate to the frosting. Add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too thin or a little milk if it is too thick.

   

4. Add each frosting to its own piping bag. Fit the chocolate bag with a large star tip. Add the reserved vanilla frosting to a piping bag and fit with a small round tip.

   

5. Swirl the chocolate frosting in a zigzag motion over the top of the cooled cupcakes. Start small on one end and make the zigzags larger as you get towards the center, then taper them off on the other side so that it resembles a football. 

   

6. Pipe a long horizontal line across the center of the “football” Then add smaller vertical lines across the horizontal line. 

   

7. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container until ready to serve.