Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup boiling water
Frosting:
• 12 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 5 tablespoons cream
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Cupcakes:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.
• Spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined.
• Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter.
• Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
• Evenly distribute the cupcake batter.
• Place in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
Frosting:
• Cream together butter and ½ cup of confectioner’s sugar at a time.
• After each cup of sugar has been added, add vanilla and then beat on high for about 20 seconds to lighten the frosting.
• Add cream, one tablespoon at a time until the buttercream has reached a consistency where it will hold it’s shape.
• Pour buttercream into a zip lock bag.
• Using scissors, snip off a small piece from the corner of zip top bag.
• Gently squeeze frosting onto the cupcakes. (Alternately, you can spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula.)
