Mochaccino Cupcakes with Vanilla~Coffee Frosting

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2T all-purpose flour
6 T unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch processed)
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
Rounded 1/4 t salt
1 large egg, room temp
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 cup vegetable or coconut oil
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 cup strong hot coffee*
Vanilla~Coffee Frosting (see recipe further below)
Chocolate sprinkles for decorating

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with baking cups.

Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and in the following order add: egg, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of the coffee, reserving the rest for the frosting and beat on low speed just until blended.

Pour the batter (it is quite thin) into a large measuring cup with a spout then into the baking cups to a little over 3/4 full.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into a center of a cupcake comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Let cool thoroughly before frosting. Frost with Vanilla~Coffee Frosting. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. *If you don't want the caffeine jolt-use decaf instead of regular. I used Canola oil instead of vegetable or coconut and milk instead of half & half. And I didn't have any chocolate sprinkles, but you could probably used some shaved chocolate if you have it on hand.

Vanilla~Coffee Frosting:
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1 lb box confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup reserved coffee from cupcakes, cooled

Cream the softened butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add 1/2 lb (2 cups) of the sifted confectioner's sugar, the vanilla extract and half of the reserved coffee

Beat on low speed, adding the remaining sugar a cup at a time and dribbling in as much of the remaining coffee as needed until spread consistency.

Note: Baking and cooking new recipes is quickly becoming a favorite activity I do with my mom. If you know my mom's family than you know that cooking is very much a part it.

We baked this recipe for the first time yesterday afternoon while my boys were playing with their cousins.

This recipe doesn't have an overwhelming, strong coffee flavor even so that the young ones liked it. She and I really liked this recipe and consider it a "keeper".

We noted that the next time we make these, we may cut the frosting recipe in half and put a thinner layer on the cupcakes because this frosting is very sweet.