Marble Cupcakes, courtesy of Martha

I'm sure some of you out there are who are Martha Stewart haters. I was a bit skeptical at first too, but I tried her red velvet cupcakes recipe, and they turned out wonderful. So this was my attempt at making marble cupcakes with her recipes for yellow and chocolate cupcakes. Overall, not bad. The texture was great and, though the chocolate could be a bit stronger, the flavors were good too.

Yields: 24 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes – from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until nice and fluffy.

3. Whisk together your dry ingredients.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture. Be sure to mix each egg until completely blended before you add the next one. Add in the vanilla extract.

5. Pause here and make the Yellow cupcakes.

6. Stir half of the dry mixture into the butter until just blended. Then add 1/3 of the sour cream and do the same. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and sour cream in thirds.

7. Lightly stir together your yellow and chocolate cupcake batter until swirled.

8. Spoon into muffin tins until half full. Bake approx 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Yellow Cupcakes – from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine the milk and vanilla.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. One at a time, mix the eggs into the butter mixture.

4. Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixtures in thirds, alternating with the milk.

5. Finish making the chocolate cupcakes.

Vanilla Italian Buttercream – adapted from Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites – room temperature

• A pinch of salt

• 1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons

• 3 sticks of softened butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Moisten 1 cup of the sugar with a bit of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Cut the butter into tablespoons and set it aside.

3. Whip the whites and salt in a clean bowl to soft peaks. When the sugar reaches 240 degrees F, stream it into the egg whites (down the side of the bowl, not onto the whip attachment). Turn the mixer up and whip until the eggs reach stiff, glossy peaks and are cool to the touch.

4. Add the butter in small pieces, beating after each is incorporated. Beat this until smooth and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

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