Chocolate cupcakes with maple frosting.

The title sounds like it should be accompanied by some drool-inspiring photos, but alas, I am going to disappoint you today with this particular post.  Or maybe half of this post.  The cupcakes turned out, but the frosting did not.  I will share pictures because I have no shame and, as with most things, my mistakes could help others not do the same thing.

So the recipe I was using for the cupcakes provides for a peppermint frosting.  It always turns out awesome and I highly recommend it, although my cupcakes have never turned out looking like those in the picture accompanying the recipe.  But today I thought I would try out this other recipe that I have for maple frosting because first, it was easier (I had just burned my hand, so didn't really want a complicated icing), and I've done the peppermint icing a few times before and thought it was time for something new.

The cupcakes turned out beautifully.  The recipe requires 1/2 a cup of buttermilk, which I really think is some sort of magical secret ingredient in baking.  If a recipe requires buttermilk, you know it's going to be delicious.  So here's how they looked before frosting: