Chocolate Cupcakes

Owner Beth Grubert, 
Baked Expectations

Moist, fluffy and dangerously addictive, these cocoa-rich cakes are topped with buttery frosting.

Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
20 cupcake liners
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup warm water
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting
2 3/4 cups icing sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
5 Tbsp evaporated milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Method
Chocolate Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Place liners in 20 cups of 2 standard muffin pans.
3. Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into large bowl of a mixer. Beat at low speed until just combined.
4. Increase speed to medium. Add eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 3 mins.
5. Divide batter among baking cups, filling each about 2/3.
6. Bake for 20 to 22 mins.
7. Remove, let cool completely in pans set on wire racks.

Chocolate Frosting

1. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter, icing sugar, evaporated milk and vanilla until light and fluffy.
2. Add cocoa slowly and beat for 2 mins until ingredients are combined.

Assembly

1. Fill a medium piping bag outfitted with a tip of your choice (round, leaf or ruffle).
2. Pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes.

Yields 20 cupcakes