Lazy Day Chocolate Cupcakes

Sometimes I go all out. Sometimes I dress my desserts up with piped frosting, flower decorations and fancy designs. Then sometimes, I just want a cupcake. The more simple, the better, and the faster I'm able to consume.
My friend sonja came over after her swim practice. By then I was:
A) exhausted from my two hour workout. Yes, an hour of intermediate pilates followed the very next minute by an hour of "cardio conditioning" class. I'm pretty sure the Evanston Athletic Club (EAC) should make someone sign a waver before entering such a class. It should come with a warning label on the door, then another one on the weights: Do not attempt if you have a strong desire to have function of your muscles in the next 48 hours.
B) Craving Chocolate (but really, when is that not the case?) and
C) Getting ready to leave for Cleveland the following morning.
So, what could be more easy, more delicious, and more decadent for us to bake than our favorite cake in CUPCAKE FORM?
It was genius! We could give it away to friends and family since I was leaving, and also eat one for ourselves whilst having a quiet, lazy, tuesday afternoon.
Now, Sonja is also getting ready to add another family member to her household. In approximately four months, their new puppy will be born. After we got nice and hyper on chocolate and sugar, we started spitting out silly dog names faster than Chuck Bass downs his drinks. Somewhere in the midst of giggling, we managed to think of some fun and perfect names. Here were some of our favorites:
-Nala
-Cleopatra
-Athena
- Artemis
- Biscuit
So, if anyone's out there reading me, your input would be greatly appreciated!
Now, on to the cupcakes:



Look how gorgeous they look next to the vase of flowers James gave me (I knew I kept him around for a reason).
Obviously romance and chocolate cupcakes go hand-in-hand; in fact, they practically arranged themselves into a heart!

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes:
Ingredients
2 Cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flower
1 cup Dutch-processed Cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon chocolate extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 24 cupcake- cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
1. Stir together flour, coca, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add eggs and whisk well.
3. Add milk and oil and extracts and whisk for 2 minutes.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then take the cupcakes (in the liners-duh) out of the tin to cool COMPLETELY before frosting!
5. Frost the cupcakes! with decadent chocolate frosting and fluffy, sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting (recipes below).

Chocolate frosting recipe
ingredients:
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 + 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 + 2 table spoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Melt butter in microwave-safe bowl. Stir in cocoa powder until fully incorporated.
2. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk beginning and ending with the milk until you have desired frosting consistency.
3. Stir in vanilla extract and VOILA! You have melt-in-your-mouth chocolate frosting.
If frosting is not your desired consistency:
Add milk if you wish to achieve a thinner glaze-like frosting
Add powdered sugar if you like thicker, fluffy frosting

Vanilla Frosting Recipe



ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese
4 Tablespoons salted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
splash of milk
1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.
2. Add powdered sugar slowly, mixing on medium speed the whole time
3. Stir in the extracts and splash of milk. YUM!

You can frost these cupcakes as fancy as you want, or simply slather on the frosting for immediate consumption and treats for the boyfriends! They're beautiful and to-die-for-delicious either way!