Chocolate cupcakes with mocha buttercream

I have never thought that I would make cupcakes someday because I've never been a cake person. I know, it's hard to fathom that, knowing the fact that I love to bake. I mean, who doesn't like cupcakes??? I guess I'm just not a big fan of sweet treats period! (Although I would make exceptions for certain things like macarons or occasionally some sweet pastries like raisin croissants or brioches...)

Yesterday, during work, for some unknown reasons, I suddenly had this strange feeling that compelled me to make cupcakes out of nowhere! Weird isn't it? And of course, I had to follow my calling for cupcakes. So officially, this is my very first time baking cupcakes (well not really, but I don't count other times because I cheated and made them from the boxes)! Ahhh....Yes, me, baking cupcakes from ..... scratch! Not from store-bought boxes! Wow... I'm so proud of myself right now! I know, I know... you may want to laugh, but just bear with me and let me indulge my moment for a second here. 

Ok.... so now that I have made it, I suddenly feel the spark of love for cupcakes that I thought I would never have before. Still not much about eating, but more so about the fun of baking and frosting them. As for the first timer,  although there is still a lot of rooms for improvement, I think they didn't turn that bad at all. Right? Well.... even if they did... just humor me!

Anyway, I think there will be more cupcakes with different flavors to come in the near future. Oh boy! I certainly hope that my "customers'" appetites can keep up with my new baking passion. So my friends, today I introduce you to my newest "creation": Chocolate cupcakes with mocha frosting! 

And I hope you also will find the joy in baking cupcakes as mush as I do.

( Recipe adapted from Brown eyed baker)

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Bake Time: 18-20 minutes | Cooling Time: 45 minutes

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1.5 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.

5. Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Mocha buttercream frosting:

Yield enough to frost 12 cupcakes:

1. 2 sticks of butter (soften at room temperature)

2. 1.5 cups of powder sugar

3. 2/3 cups of heavy whipping cream

4. 1 tsp of vanilla

5. 1/4 tsp of espresso powder

6. 1/4 tsp of cocoa powder

In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the butter until pale yellow and fluffy for about 5 minutes at medium speed. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add powder sugar little at a time. Scrape the side of the bowl occasionally as needed and whisk until all the sugar has incorporated. Add heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, espresso powder and vanilla extract. Continue to whisk until everything is completely combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until fluffy.

Spoon the frosting into a piping bag attached with 1M decorating tip. Pipe the buttercream in a slow spiral swirl starting from outside to the center of the cake and end it at the top.