Sometimes people don’t like to let on it’s their birthday.

I like to expose them, in a nice way – especially if they are working on their birthday, they deserve a little extra love at work.

I mean, I don’t expose them in a naked way, just in the fact that people around them should know…spoil the birthday gal or guy a wee bit.

My exposures involve cupcakes and little happy birthday notes…12 cupcakes left in the nurse report room (pre-report) with a little happy birthday note on them. That’s all. Everyone walks in, sees that it’s their birthday, they all give a little extra love, and everyone gets cupcakes.

Not a bad deal in my opinion.

These cupcakes were for a great nurse I work with who decided to attempt to hide the fact it was her birthday. I found out. She got cupcakes. Everyone was happy.

Perfecto.

adapted from Tartlette via Picky Cook

Makes about 18-20 depending on the size.

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Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 4 oz fine-quality semisweet chocolate
  • 1 cups hot brewed coffee
  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat the inside of your cupcake wrappers with cooking spray.
  2. In a bowl, combine the chocolate and the hot coffee and let stand, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.
  3. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
  4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar on medium speed until airy and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (scrape down the sides if necessary). Still on medium speed, add the chocolate and mixing until well incorporated. Add the flour,baking soda and salt alternating with the buttermilk . Make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated but do not overbeat. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.
  5. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

from Martha Stewart

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Vanilla Bean Icing

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into small pieces
  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 vanilla bean scraped
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup milk

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
  2. Add vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract, and beat to combine. Slowly add milk and continue beating on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Ice your cupcakes once completely cooled. I topped each cake with 1/2 of a pitted fresh cherry.