Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcakes

It's almost Halloween....a perfect time for those spooky cupcakes!

This is a delightful chocolate cake recipe. I often make this into cupcakes and it originally came from an old "soul-food" little cookbook I bought when living in Dothan, Alabama. I found it to be one of the best chocolate cake recipes ever!

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups hot brewed coffee

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9" x 13"  baking pan or into a muffin tin which has been prepared with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add hot coffee, oil, eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan or muffin tin. Bake for 30- 45 minutes or into the muffin tins, 3/4 full. Frost with Buttercream Frosting.

Butter Cream Frosting

4-6 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 sticks of butter

2 t. vanilla

Allow butter to come to room temperature. Blend in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until creamy. Always with buttercream frostings, it tends to hold it's consistency better when kept cool.

When witches go riding, and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,'tis near Halloween.

~ Unknown