Chocolate Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting {Sweet Treat Tuesday}

These were so good! I made them for our small group, and there were only two to bring home! I loved the chocolate cupcake recipe and you could top it with any icing of your choice. I would love to have chocolate on top of chocolate! mmm good! This cream cheese icing was delicious too. Definitely a keeper!

Chocolate Cupcakes and Creme Cheese Frosting
slightly adapted from Annie's Eats


*makes 24 cupcakes


Ingredients:
chocolate cupcakes
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream




cream cheese frosting
10 ounces cream cheese, chilled
6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
chocolate cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl until smooth. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is smooth.  Put butter mixture in the bowl of electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed. Add in vanilla and then cocoa mixture until smooth. With the mixer on low, add in  flour and sour cream, alternating beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Divide batter between cupcake liners. Bake until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then move to cooling rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, ice with cream cheese icing or other icing of your choice.

cream cheese frosting

Combine cream cheese and butter in bowl of electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, scraping down sides as needed. Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Increase speed and blend for 2-3 minutes. Blend in the vanilla.