Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes

With no football, I found myself with quite a bit more time than usual today. So with that extra time, I choose to bake up something fun for you all - my co-workers are sure to love me tomorrow! This recipe is quite simple and can be used to make cupcakes as I did, or you could bake it as a full cake using a bundt pan with the same ingredients and quantities.

Today, I made Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes! Think of Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes as chocolate cake with a kick. They are full of flavor and incredibly moist. You can also tweak the icing to add a whole different twist on the recipe.

How about we get right to the good part - the recipe!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: About 20 Minutes

Cake:
1 Box of Devils Food Cake
1 Box of Chocolate Pudding
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Water
1/2 Vegetable Oil
3/4 cup Kahlua

Icing:
1 1/2 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1/4 Skim Milk
These measurements are simply ratios and can be scaled based on how thick you would like the icing to be. You will get a good sense as you start mixing if you need to add more sugar or milk.

Optional Icing (This is the alternative to the above):
1 cup Confectioner's Sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua
This version of the icing sure gives the cake a kick!

1. Mix all cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Start on a low speed and work your way to medium speed as the batter thickens. Do not overmix - batter only needs to be mixed for about 2-3 minutes. Now is a good time to preheat your oven to 350F.

2. Next, evenly distribute batter across your cupcake tins. You don't need to fill the tins to the top as the cupcakes will rise as they back (try to fill about 3/4 the way).

3. Now place the cupcake trays into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes (based on your oven temperature). When you remove the tray from the oven, test the cupcakes with a toothpick which should come out relatively clean.

4. Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes. While they cool, prepare the icing. Simply mix the milk and sugar until you get a thick icing that will make for easy spreading. Ice the cupcakes to your liking.

And that is all there is to it. I hope that you enjoy the cupcakes and don't forget to share (: