Dainty Choc-Cuppies with Cream Cheese Frosting

I love baking for parties. Primarily this is because I like getting feedback from big groups of people, friends and family on any baked goods that I made because I often like to try out new recipes on these occassions. Its also fun to bake large quantities of food from time to time. The only challenge - aside from deciding what to make in the first place - is that some recipes are just too small to work well for a party.

These mini chocolate cupcakes are easy to make and the recipe makes enough for 4-doz mini cupcakes! I like this recipe because the cupcakes turn out very moist with a good, deep cocoa flavour to them. Doubled or multipled batches can be baked. At first when you realise that each cupcake is only about two bites, it doesn't seem like 4-doz will actually feed many people!

Cream Cheese frosting is always a hit and its easy to work with, so that's what I used for these cuppies. However, feel free to use any other kind of frosting that you would like.

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)

1 cup sugar (I normally use brown sugar - less sweet)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate baking soda

3/4 fresh milk (I use low fat milk)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanila extract

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F. Line mini muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, vegetable oil, vanila extract and vinegar.

Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Distribute batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until a tootpick inserted comes out clean.

Turn cupcakes out into wirerack to cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz cream cheese - room temperature

6 tbsp butter - room temperature

1 tsp vanila extract

1-2 tbsp milk (I use low fat milk)

2-3 cups icing sugar

In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter. Beat in vanila and milk (start with 1 tbsp and add additional if you wish to thin the frosting), then add in the icing sugar gradually until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.

If you wish the frosting to be a bit stiffer - add more icing sugar.

Fill pastry bag with 1M star tip and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

...simply adorable...