Black Mocha Stout Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream

These Might Be the Best Cupcakes Ever Made...Just sayin'

Cupcake Ingredients:
3/4 cup Hershey's special dark cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch sea salt
1 bottle Highland Mocha Stout Beer (ASHEVILLE LOCAL!)
1 stick butter (melted)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 F

In large bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt

In a second bowl, combine 12oz of the beer, (drink the rest while baking) the melted butter, and vanilla. Beat or whisk the eggs in one at a time. Mix in the sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

Place cupcake liners into tins and fill about 3/4 full. Bake regular sized cupcakes 24 minutes, or mini cupcakes for 12-14 minutes, or until risen, slightly domed, and set in the middle but still soft.

Cool and then frost!

I doubled this recipe and wound up with A LOT of cupcakes. I wound up with 65 small and 35 regular, so I am guessing this recipe will make about 30 small and 16 large cupcakes, or simply 26 large cupcakes.

Buttercream Ingredients:

1 lb powdered sugar

2 sticks of butter softened

2 Tbs heavy cream

2-4 Tbs Espresso, brewed and cooled to room temp. (coffee would work too)

Buttercream Directions: 

Beat the butter until soft, add heavy cream and 1 Tbs espresso. beat until creamy. Gradually add confectioners sugar until you reach the consistency desired, probably about 1 lb. continue to add espresso to taste.