Neapolitan Cupcakes

My parents just recently got a new cable box with DVR (I think it's kinda like TiVo)For anyone who doesn't know, that's the thing that let's you pause and record TV shows... and fast forward commercials! It's amazing how I ever lived without it! There's a setting that lets you record shows that have a specific keyword in the description. So naturally I set it to record any show with the words "cupcake," "baking," and "cake!" A few days ago I looked at the shows that have been saved so far. I found an episode of a wonderful show I just discovered called "Everyday Baking from Everyday Food." The episode featured three cupcake recipes, one of which I chose to use for these Neapolitan cupcakes. My original proposition for the cupcakes was to make a strawberry/chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream. However, I am not a fan of plain vanilla buttercream, or any flavor of traditional buttercream (butter, confectioners sugar, milk). Instead, I made a chocolate/vanilla cupcake and paired it with the most amazingly silky strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream. With the cake and ice cream flavors, it was like a birthday party in my mouth!

ingredients... except one stick of butter that's sitting on the table behind me......aaannnddd the butter is forgotten again! I'm good.delicious dark chocolate batter and even yummier vanilla batterFill half of each cup with chocolate batter... ...and the other half with vanilla batter.They should look like this!Doesn't it look so perfect and tasty??TADA!And because it's so pretty... here's another picture...

You gotta be dying for the recipe by now!!

Cupcake recipe from MarthStewart.com.

MY NOTES: Measure out the ingredients for both batters first. This way you don't have the first batter sitting out for a long time while you make the second one. I used dark chocolate cocoa powder. My cupcakes were done at 19 minutes.

Black-and-White Cupcakes
Prepare both vanilla and chocolate batters (directions below); fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each, side by side. Makes 24.

Ingredients
Makes 12
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

For Chocolate Cupcakes
Reduce flour to 1 1/4 cups, and add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Whisk into dry ingredients.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).
Fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each batter, side by side.. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This is my own recipe.

Ingredients
Makes about 4 cups

4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened, cut into tablespoons
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Directions
Put egg whites and sugar into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees).
Pour heated egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add strawberry jam and continue beating 2 minutes to eliminate air bubbles.