You like dark, rich chocolate. He would rather have vanilla.

You were first in line for the iphone (and perhaps eagerly awaiting the white on white version). He is glued to his Blackberry.

You like sappy, romantic comedies with happy endings. He prefers shoot em’ up action.

You love the city, all it’s shiny lights, and endless parade of 5″ heels. He wants a beach with a pounding surf break and an endless parade of bikinis (although, for your man, you’ll happily strut your goods in your new Mikoh bikini especially if it means escaping the cold).

You have a GPS nav system. He doesn’t even ask for directions (how he actually found South Beach from Naples is still a mystery).

You guys are living proof that opposites do attract. After all, there can be no black if there is no white. No left if there is no right. And no positive without a negative. One can not exist without the other.

Kinda like Extra Dark Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes. And Double Dose Vanilla Cupcakes.

Double Dose Vanilla Cupcakes

from Simply Recipes

• 1 1/2 C plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 C butter at room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake tin with papers.
• Cut open and scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean. Place the seeds, empty bean and 1/2 C milk into a small saucepan. Heat slowly to just under a few simmer. Stir constantly for about three minutes. Be very careful not to scald the milk. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the milk to steep in the vanilla as it cools. Once the milk is cool remember to remove the vanilla bean.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In another bowl whisk together the vanilla steeped milk, vanilla extract and sour cream.
• In yet another bowl (hope you have a dishwasher!), beat the butter for about three minutes on medium speed until it is light and fluffy and the color is a pale yellow. Add the sugar and beat at least another three minutes. You will notice the color and consistency change once you’ve beat long enough. Then add the whole egg and beat for about a minute. Add the egg whites one at a time and beat for a minute after each.
• Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter mixture in alternating additions (dry-wet-dry-wet-dry). Mix until just combined. Please don’t over beat.
• Divide the batter into your cupcake tine and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Frosting:

• One 8 oz. package of cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 1  1/4 C whipping cream (35%)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• dash of salt
• white chocolate curls for garnish

• Beat the whip cream until VERY stiff (it need to be stiff enough to serve as icing). Place in fridge to keep cool.
• Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla until very smooth, about three minutes. Fold in the whip cream and any gel coloring if using (I used a rose color).
• Keep cool in the fridge if not using immediately. I often chill the frosting for an hour to let the cream cheese cool and make the frosting thicker.

Note:

• If you’re wondering why you have to beat the crap out of the butter/sugar mixture but not once the flour is added I once read something like this: the butter/sugar/egg stage is where you incorporate air into your baking to make your goods light and fluffy. If, however, you add too much air into the flour stage you will produce tough, dried out baked goods.