Ingredients

The following ingredients have 16 Servings
  • Chocolate Cupcakes
  • 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 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, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Vanilla Bean Buttercream
  • 2½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, or 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, 10 ounces
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Instruction

  • Chocolate Cupcakes
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
  • In a small bowl, stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Then, in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  • Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
  • Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
  • Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, use a large Wilton 1M open star tip to make lovely swirls.
  • Vanilla Bean Buttercream
  • In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. If using a vanilla bean, using a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter. If using vanilla bean paste, add instead. Beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds.
  • Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 20 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.
  • Use to frost cupcakes or cakes.
  • Enjoy!