We had two cupcake parties at our house this weekend. To be fair, the second party consisted of leftover cupcakes from the first party. But still. Two parties! Also, I talked to someone besides Evan on the ski shuttle last week. Can anyone say social butterfly? To cater to our guests' specific dietary needs (chocolate and non-chocolate), there were two types of cupcakes presented. A Holly interpretation of a Hostess cupcake. Topped with Ganache. I love Ganache.
And a vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting. And sprinkles. I love those too. 
I found the recipe for these darling little cakes 
For the Holly-Hostess cupcakes, I turned to my favorite chocolate cake recipe.Chocolate Cake
from Better Homes and Gardens
3/4 c. butter
3 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper cups. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat two minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat on medium speed for 20 seconds. Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 30-ish minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Let cool before ganache application.
Chocolate Ganache
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 c. heavy cream
Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until hot and steaming. Do not allow it to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, and pour the cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minutes, then stir until smooth. Spoon the warm ganache over cupcakes.
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And if anyone is still reading this post, here is a little reward. Our friends brought their tiny little puppy to the party. His name is Bosco. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what he is named after.
