Chocolate Cupcakes With Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

These are officially the best cupcakes I’ve ever had.  Pretty bold statement, I know.  But it is so true.
Besides the fact that they are really, really, REALLY good they transport me back to my days of living in Paris.  I was a young, (and poor) college student living off two dollar ham & cheese crepes made from the street-side crepe truck by my flat.  

I think “Je voudrais un crepe” was the first thing I learned to say (and may have been one of the only things I learned to say behind je voudrais un baguette and je voudrais que vous coupiez ici, but that’s a whole other story).  Back to the crepes.  That little crepe cart was where I discovered the insane combination of Nutella and coconut.  My daily jambon and fromage was soon replaced with coco and nutella.  And on days I wanted to be more healthy I would eat the crepe with coco, nutella and banana.

Second, anything that is “filled” (or stuffed) is just better.  There is something about that feeling of sinking your teeth down into a creamy center that oozes out onto your tongue.  Lastly, it’s chocolate.  Rich, deep, dark… bold chocolate.  Just the way I like it.  (If you are a chocolate lover like myself you know exactly what I’m talking about.)

■Chocolate Cupcakes
■One small jar of Nutella
■Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 16 cupcakes
■ 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
■1 cup boiling hot water
■1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
■2 tsp baking powder
■1/4 tsp salt
■1/2 cup butter, room temp
■1 cup sugar
■2 large eggs
■2 tsp vanilla extract

(You can use your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe or this recipe for chocolate cupcakes derived from Joy of Baking)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16 – 20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. ( These cupcakes are best the day they are made, but can be covered and stored for a few days.)

Once the cupcakes have cooled, with a pairing knife, cut out a hole in the center of the cupcake.  Pour a spoonful of Nutella into the center and then frost with coconut frosting.  Top with toasted coconut.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
■1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
■2 sticks butter, softened
■1 36 oz bag powdered sugar
■1 teaspoon vanilla extract
■1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
■2 cups shredded coconut

In bowl of electric mixer cream butter and cream cheese.  Slowly add powdered sugar by the cup until incorporated.  Add extract and blend well.  Fold in coconut.  You may have to add a splash of cream to losen the consistancy to spread.