Chocolate Kiwi Cupcakes

I know what you're probably thinking. Chocolate and kiwi together? That could never be good. However, the flavors complement each other perfectly.

I remember the first time I had the wonderful combination. I was in 2nd grade and my parents and I went on the ultimate vacation. New Zeland. To be honest since it was so long ago I don't remember everything about the trip, but that's where pictures come in to remind me!

See my dad was a foreign exchange student (I believe in high school?) and spent some time in New Zeland. And here comes the story behind the post.

My father had left his best friend behind, Twyla, as he set off on his adventures. However, as he was going to school in New Zeland, he met Andrew, who ended up becoming a close friend.

One day his friend from the other side of the world came here to Washington, and the two of them met. In the end, well, they got married. So I grew up with their children, and Twyla's mother as my grandmother. I always thought they were family, and still do to this day.

So one year we all went on vacation together (kind of) for a few weeks, and for part of the trip my parents and I stayed with one of the family's my father had stayed with on his foreign exchange trip since he had kept in touch with them over the years.

They decided before we went to set me up with a pen pal, a girl a couple years older than me, Adele, who unfortunately I no longer keep in touch with, but, at the time, became a great friend. She had first tried to get me to eat candy that was chocolate kiwi, but at the time, I didn't want chocolate right before I went to bed.

However, I had fallen in love with kiwi fruit by this time.

I believe it was a few years down the road when Don and Fran (the couple my father stayed with) came to the states for a visit, and Don brought me a few chocolate bars from New Zeland that were filled with a sweetened kiwi filling. I still remember those beauties. Completely delicious. So when I saw a recipe for kiwi cream cheese frosting, I fell in love and had to try the flavor combination, in tribute to the candy bar.

Anyways, that's my story of the week. Now here's your cupcakes!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Fudgey Chocolate Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl mix together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly add in dry ingredient mixture and make sure to fully combine. Add in buttermilk.

Fill liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack until cupcakes are fully cooled.

Kiwi Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe adapted from here

• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1/4 or 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3-5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 fresh kiwi, mashed

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Mix in the kiwi and fully combine. Finally slowly add in the powdered sugar, until desired consistency/flavor is reached (I prefer a stiffer frosting).