A Cupcake for Any Day

I have a confession to make: I am a pin-crazed, blog-addicted, recipe chaser.

You all know what I mean, it starts with a whim to get some recipe-inspo then 1,000 pins and 100 open browser-tabs later you realize it's been 3 hours and you still have no clue what's for dinner!

Or worse.

You see an upcoming holiday and are determined to make The Best Holiday Themed Treat you can find because how cute are you?  Three weeks later you realize the holiday is tomorrow and although you have yet to buy a single ingredient your hankering for sweet is still going strong.

Lucky for you this break-out-in-case-of-emergency-recipe will save you any day.

This adapted (cup)cake recipe has layers of flavors that will keep the compliments coming your way while making every taster overlook the fact that it's not exactly relevant to the holiday.  If you happen to dig through your pantry and find some sprinkles that can help your cause, sprinkle away like I managed to do for this "St. Patty's Day" version.

But seriously, stop reading and get baking because this moist, crumbly-in-a-good-way cake is rocking dark chocolate vibes mingled with savory-sweet coffee and caramel and is way too good to save for later!

Any-Day Chocolate Cake

Ingredients 


For the Cake

• 1 3/4 c white flour
• 3/4 c white sugar
• 3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 3/4 c dark brown sugar loosely packed
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 c freshly brewed coffee

For the Frosting

• 1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick), room temp
• 2-3 c powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2-4 T almond milk

Combine

For the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the flour, white sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then add the coffee and mix until fully combined.
5. Use a 1/4 measuring cup to pour the batter into a lined or oiled cupcake tin, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

For the Frosting

1. Place the butter in a bowl with the vanilla and alternate between gradually adding the sugar and the milk, using a fork to mash together between additions.
2. Using a handheld or counter top mixer, cream ingredients until fluffy and thick.  You may need to add some more sugar until the consistency is thick.
3. Fill a ziploc bag halfway with frosting, then snip off a small piece of a bottom corner off at an angle.
4. Using a slow, circular motion frost each cupcake starting from the outer edge and working your way into the center.