Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Chocolate Vienna Buttercream Frosting

These cupcakes were delicious, light yet moist. They were so quick and easy too. I had them made and in the oven in less that 10 minutes. I halved the recipe, and made 6 standard size and 12 mini size cupcakes. You may need 2 quantities of frosting if you make the 2 dozen standard size cupcakes. It depends on if you pipe, or spread the frosting on.

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes
Original recipe from Baking Bites Blog

Makes 24 standard size cupcakes, or 60 mini size cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons bi-carb soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (170 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Line trays with cupcake papers
2. In a large bowl whisk cocoa, flour, sugar, soda, baking powder and salt thoroughly.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
4. Whisk wet mix, into dry mix until all of the ingredients are combined with no flour streaks.
5. Fill cupcake papers 3/4 full with mixture.
6. Bake for 11 minutes (mini), 15 minutes (standard), or until a skewer comes out clean.
7. Remove cupcakes from pan, and cool on a wire rack. Once cool they are ready to ice.

Chocolate Vienna Butter Cream
Recipe from the Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book

Ingredients

125 grams margarine
1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
2 Tablespoons milk

Method

Beat margarine until light & creamy, add in half of the icing sugar, continue to mix until fully incorporated. Add half the milk, followed by the remaining icing sugar, beat until mixed. (sometimes you need the rest of the milk, sometimes you don't). Mixture should be smooth and easy to spread with a spatula.