Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

It's very dangerous to be stuck inside during a snowstorm and decide to make Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes! Very dangerous! But with Valentine's Day coming up, I needed to test out a new cupcake recipe. This weekend will be all things chocolate..and heart shaped!
I found this recipe in an older issue of Taste of Home Magazine from 2007. It was the winning recipe for a cupcake contest and it's very good but I gave it a little more mocha flavor in the frosting.
After I made the first batch..half batch actually, (I don't need to be stuck inside with too many cupcakes!), I decided to try a Martha Stewart recipe. Her one bowl chocolate cupcake recipe I thought might give a good comparison and that's the Martha one on the left below with the Mocha one on the right. Martha's uses buttermilk, which I like in a chocolate cake recipe, however the Taste of Home recipe uses cider vinegar, which, I guess, really gives the same result. I used the same Mocha Frosting recipe for both.
I did like the Taste of Home winning recipe. But Martha's was more moist and not as dense as the other. I think her cupcake was more moist because she used buttermilk, water and oil and Taste of Home used more oil but no buttermilk or water. A matter of preference, I think, on which one you'd considered to be better. This would have also been good with some kind of filling piped into the center, too. A little over the top, you say? Yeah, I'm already in trouble with having a dozen cupcakes hanging around until the snow stops falling..which doesn't look like any time soon!

Preheat your oven to 350 now because this recipe goes together very quickly.
Begin by mixing the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

And stir or whisk to combine.

In another small bowl, whisk the eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla.

And pour the wet into the dry mixture and mix well.

Place paper liners into muffin cups and spoon batter into cups, 3/4 ths full.

Bake and cool, then make the frosting but microwaving the chocolate chips to melt.

Stir the til smooth and add the butter and beat.

Gradually beat in confectioners sugar and coffee.

Stir to get it all smooth. Now , if you're handy with a piping gizmo ( which I'm not!), you can go ahead and show off your creative piping skills. However, if you're like me, just plop some frosting on top of the cupcake and spread it around with a knife.
I didn't have any chocolate sprinkles but the original recipe calls for decorating the top with these. I'm thinking maybe there needs to be something red on top for Valentine's Day. Maybe some red heart sprinkles. After we dig out, I'll go get some!

Do you think I stopped at one bite?

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes ( adapted from Taste of Home Magazine).

Makes 1 dozen

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa ( the recipe didn't specify dutch process or not. I used Valhrona cocoa powder)
1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup cold brewed coffee ( I would use approx. 1 tbsp.instant dissolved in enough warm water to make 1/2 cup, then let it cool)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tsp. cider vinegar

3 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

3 tbsp. semi sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp. milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 to 2 tbsp. brewed coffee ( I used 1 tsp. instant dissolved in 2 tbsp. warm water for a more intense coffee flavor)

1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350. Place paper liners into muffin cups.

1. In small mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

2. In small bowl, whisk eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla.

3. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Fill paper lined cups 3/4 full and bake 20 - 25 minutes or til toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then move remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

In small microwave safe mixing bowl, melt chips, stir til smooth. Add butter and beat til blended. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar and coffee. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.