Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Now this is heaven!  Light fluffy chocolate cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting.  Don't get me wrong I love me some butter cream frosting but when it comes to chocolate I love it lighter and smoother and that is where the cream cheese comes in.

Now I am so sorry for the lack of recipes here on my blog.  I had family up and kids are sick and teething the last thing I had time for was new recipes but I am back at it so keep your eyes open and tummies hungry.

Chocolate Cake

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light-brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Beat in vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape bowl as needed.
• Pour batter into cupcake pans . Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Take cupcakes out of pan and cook on racks
  
  
  Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
  9.5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  4 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  Pinch of salt
  2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sour cream
  To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Set aside to cool until just barely warm.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream.  Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended.  Frost cupcakes immediately before the chocolate hardens and the frosting sets.
  
  
  Enjoy and Keep on cookin!