Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

I found this recipe at Chockylit's wonderful site Cupcake Bakeshop (you really need to check that out, the woman makes some amazing cupcakes). Her recipe was originally for truffle cupcakes, but I went a little more simple and just made them dark chocolate. Still fabulous – dark, rich, and absolutely lovely. It's almost like a bittersweet-chocolate brownie, except in cupcake form.

I halved her recipe, hence the "1/8"th measurements. Feel free to double it back up; that would give you about 25 cupcakes. The batter is super-thick but man, it makes one mean chocolate cupcake.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3 to 4 oz. Valrhona 85% cacao (or any bittersweet chocolate)

12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter

1 1/8 c. sugar

4 eggs

5/8 c. flour

1/8 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

3/4 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper and laying out cupcake cups. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for 10 seconds between each.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into the mixture, return to the electric mixer, and mix until blended.

Scoop batter into cupcake cups and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.