This is the last of my finals week baking posts, super decadent chocolate cupcakes, for my oldest little sister.  She’s studying to be a doctor, while working almost full-time, and she still finds the time to be a wonderful sister and daughter.  She’s also a stage five chocoholic, so figuring out what to make her was a no-brainer.

These cupcakes were soft, moist, and decadent.  The dutch processed cocoa powder gives them a deep chocolate flavor, much better than anything you can get with either regular cocoa powder or a box mix.  The original recipe fills them with ganache, but we were on a tight schedule (my sister had to go back to school to study), so we skipped it.  For the frosting, we chose to go old school, and use some dark chocolate Duncan Hines.  I’ll absolutely make these again, and next time the right way, with that wonderful looking ganache!

Sinful Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from First Look, Then Cook, originally from Cook’s Illustrated

1/3 cup chocolate chips (the original recipe used finely chopped chocolate)

1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa (I always use Hershey’s Special Dark)

3/4 cup hot, strong coffee

3/4 cup a.p flour (note, the original recipe called for bread flour)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Place chocolate chips and cocoa powder in a small bowl and pour hot coffee over mixture.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.

Once chocolate mixture is cooled, whisk in eggs, vanilla, oil, and vinegar.  Once smooth, slowly add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

Pour into prepared muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for seventeen to twenty minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test.

Enjoy!