Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

I'm a firm believer that some of the most comforting things in the world come in the form of a scent. In my case, there is nothing better than the smell of my grandmother's rolls fresh from the oven, clean laundry, or even bleach. Seriously though, is there anything better than the smell of clean? Busted, you know for sure I'm a freak now.

I digress. You know what else smells ah-may-zing? Cupcakes. Sign me up.

A co-worker of mine reached her retirement milestone recently and I jumped at the opportunity to celebrate. What screams celebration more than cupcakes? Well, maybe champagne, but that's beside the point.

I stumbled upon this cupcake recipe via Pinterest a few months ago and fell in love. It's so easy and versatile. You can add milk, various flavors of coffee, or pretty much whatever you'd like to manipulate the flavor. I also love that you have the ability to make them in smaller batches. I've literally split this recipe in half and only made 6 cupcakes before, and they're still amazing.

I cheated and used store-bought vanilla frosting, but the original recipe has a link to a great chocolate buttercream that you could use as well.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brewed coffee*
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white vinegar**
*I used hazelnut, but you could get creative here
**I omitted this since I didn't have any on hand and my cupcakes still turned out delightful!

1. Preheat your oven to 350, line your cupcake pan with paper or silicone cups as preferred. 
2. Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add in your sugar and salt, then use a whisk to fully incorporate the ingredients. 
3. Combine coffee, oil, vanilla and vinegar in a separate bowl and whisk to incorporate. 
4. Slowly pour wet mixture into dry mixture, stirring constantly just until no dry spots remain. The batter should be slightly lumpy at this point, which is normal as it's important not to over-mix. 
5. Spoon your batter into your cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. (I baked some regular cupcakes and some mini cupcakes. If you go with the minis, they take less baking time so be sure to check on them sooner.) 
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven, allowing them to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and decorate as desired. Yields 12 cupcakes. 

Enjoy!