Chocolate Cupcakes

Decadent chocolate cupcakes LOADED with chocolate chips.... topped with a chocolate buttercream icing. Is there anything better in this world???!!!

I decided to make these on a recent snow day and there were barely any left by day's end!

Featured Guest:
My daughter, Charley !

Let's Get Started

Here is Charley getting ready to whip up a perfect cupcake batter.

As you can see, no fancy equipment needed. Just a hand - mixer will do !

All ready for the oven.

The Result !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I use Fry's)
1 cup boiling hot water
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup fine white sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (we used milk chocolate chips and they were great!)

FROSTING:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (1 square of baking chocolate is 1 oz)
2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sifted icing sugar (do NOT omit sifting!)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375 F
LINE 12 muffin cups with paper liners
MIX cocoa and hot water together in small bowl. Let stand or place in fridge for faster cooling
IN MEDIUM BOWL, combine flour, baking powder and salt
IN LARGE BOWL, beat butter and sugar with hand-mixer until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes medium speed)
ADD EGGS, mix and scrape down sides during mixing if required
BLEND in vanilla extract
ADD flour mixture and blend until combined
ADD cooled cocoa/water mixture until blended and batter is smooth.
STIR in chocolate chips
FILL muffins cups 3/4 with batter
BAKE 18-20 minutes . Use toothpick in center of muffin to check for doneness
COOL on wire rack (should be ready for frosting in 1/2 hr)

FROSTING:
MELT chocolate over double boiler and let cool
BEAT butter until smooth (1 -2 min) with hand-mixer
ADD icing sugar and mix til combined
ADD vanilla extract and melted chocolate
BEAT 2-3 minutes medium speed

You can either spread icing with cake spatula, regular knife or pipe it for pretty swirls as I did. I used a wilton IM star tip for these.

These make incredibly moist and rich cupcakes. You will be hooked after the first bite!