Last weekend was a great weekend. I skied, I went bowling, I ate lots of cake and I celebrated my birthday surrounded by friends! Weekends don’t get much better than that! Cake is delicious all the time, but there is something about birthday cake that is extra special! Now my usual request for birthday cake is my moms carrot cake (I posted it last year!) and I was lucky enough to enjoy some delicious carrot cake cupcakes this year, thanks to these lovely ladies above! (don’t worry I didn’t eat all the cupcakes myself)  But if its not carrot cake, I’d rather have chocolate… hands down! You won’t find a more classic cupcake than these delicious chocolate pillows. Top them with cream cheese frosting… because why would you have any other kind of frosting? And you’ve got yourself a heavenly piece of cake!

The secret inside them? Brewed coffee! Adding brewed coffee to your cake does not make it taste like coffee or mocha but rather it intensifies the chocolate flavor. This is possible because coffee has the same flavor profile as chocolate, but is less dominant than cocoa, so adding it helps your taste buds pick up on the chocolate notes. The end result is a super light but very chocolatey cake that’s not too rich and leaves you satisfied! Since this cake is all about the chocolate, be sure to use quality cocoa powder for both the cake and the frosting!

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (click for printer friendly version)

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Dutched cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup good cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Brew Coffee and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cupcake pans with cupcake tins, or for a cake coat two 9″ round pans with butter, dust with flour and line the bottom with parchment rounds.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl, stir with a hand whisk and set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer or hand mixer beat eggs and sugar until very thick. Beat in oil.
5. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk to the egg mixture beating until well combined.
6. Add coffee and vanilla until combined.
7. Fill cupcake pans evenly, only filling them 1/2 way up. (same for cake pans)
8. Bake for 20-30minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
9. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

For the Frosting:

1. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
2. Slowly mix in powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
3. Allow frosting to set in the fridge while the cake is in the oven.