Double Chocolate Cupcakes

This is the time of year I really miss my hometown - Chicago.  I don’t know of any other city that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day the way Chicago does.  Heck, we even dye the Chicago River green to celebrate the occasion.   And if that isn’t cool enough, all of the local draft beer is served green on that day.  What a town!  Although I am seldom there anymore to join in the festivities,  every year I try to create a little bit of the ‘spirit’ for myself and nearby family and friends.  So what does chocolate have to do with St. Patrick’s Day, you ask?  Well, according to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, Ireland has the third largest consumption rate of chocolate in the world.  Works for me.  So, to help set the mood this year I decided to make these Double Chocolate cupcakes.  

Happy St. Pat’s Day!


Double Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Chocolate Frosting:
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 24 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 16 - 20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) 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. These cupcakes are best the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days.

Chocolate Frosting: 
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).
Makes 24 cupcakes.