Chocolate Cupcakes ~ A Long Overdue Post!

Happy New Year Y'all!! Between a full time job, grad school and the holidays, I have been extremely busy the past few months and therefor neglected my blog.  Forgive me fellow foodies! I promise I will try to do better in this new year.  Today I am excited to share a delicious chocolate cupcake recipe with you. Cupcakes are a bit of an obsession of mine and I can't believe this is the first cupcake recipe I'm blogging about.  I make these for my little cousin Madison all the time.  Easy and delicious! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients 
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lay out cupcake wrappers in baking tin (I always try to find fun wrappers at the craft store) . In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. 

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Using large cookie scoop, scoop batter into cupcake tins, filling about 2/3 full.


Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes for mini-cupcakes or 15-17 minutes for regular cupcakes.  Remember though, ovens are not all the same!  Check them when they are a couple minutes away from being done.  If you can insert a toothpick and it's clean when pull it out - they're done! Allow to cool.


This is going to give you around 36 cupcakes, sometimes I half it if I don't need that many. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

Ingredients
7 cups confectioners' sugar 
1/4 cup butter, softened 
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring if you want :)

Directions
Cream butter and cream cheese together in stand mixer until light and fluffy ( a couple of minutes) 

Add in powdered sugar a cup at a time, stopping periodically to wipe down sides of the bowl.


Mix in cream.

Add in vanilla until just mixed.

Add food coloring to get desired color for frosting.

Ice Cupcakes! Add your choice of sprinkles or decor. Enjoy! 

Another blog coming SOON!