Happy Halloween & Chocolate Cupcakes!

I hosted a Halloween edition of Game Night at my house last night, and I made these cupcakes in the spirit of the holiday. The recipe is from The Cake Mix Doctor, probably my all-time favorite baking cookbook! (It also comes in a Chocolate Edition, by the way!) These cupcakes were yummy and different because of the almond extract and the cream cheese frosting. These would be great for any holiday, birthday, or other get-together.

DEEPLY-CHOCOLATE ALMOND CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Recipe Notes

You can also make this recipe into a layer cake version using two round, 9-inch cake pans. In this case, change the cooking time of the cakes to 28-30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 c. water
• 1 package plain devil's food cake mix
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure almond extract
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

3. Heat the chopped unsweetened chocolate and water in a small saucepan over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Set the pan aside and cool for 10 minutes.

4. Place cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, extract, and melted chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat on medium speed for two minutes. Batter should look thick and combined.

5. Pour into individual cupcake liners and bake for 19-22 minutes, depending on your oven. Allow to cool before frosting.

6. Prepare Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Blend 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese and 1 stick of softened butter with an electric mixer until well-combined.
• Add 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp. almond extract (can also substitute vanilla extract), and 4 c. confectioner's sugar.
• Blend until frosting is fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes more.
• Use to frost cake or cupcakes immediately.