Double-Chocolate Cupcakes

Photo: flickr user American Candy Stand Cupcakes (Aust.)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 lrgs eggs

cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

cup miniature chocolate chips

1 pkt (3 oz.) cream cheese

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 cup confectioners' sugar

teaspoon vanilla extract

cup shredded coconut, toasted, optional

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line eighteen 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl; set aside. Beat butter in mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine milk and vanilla; add to batter alternately with dry ingredients, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon evenly into prepared pans. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Make Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter in bowl until creamy. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Frost tops of cupcakes. Garnish with coconut, if desired.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

Cocoa powder and miniature chocolate chips give these cupcakes a double chocolate whammy. Mini chips are preferable for this recipe because their tiny size and weight make for more even distribution in the batter.

Low-calorie

Prep time: 15 minutes plus cooling

Baking Time: 18 to 20 minutes

Degree of difficulty: easy