Yesterday I was housesitting for my boss and really wanted some chocolate cake. They have a beautiful kitchen with anything a baker could ever want so I decided to whip up some cupcakes. I found a recipe online at Food.com. Food.com has awesome recipes where you can change the quantity to how much you want to make and it does the math for you! It was a regular chocolate cake/icing recipe but I gave the icing a spin with some peppermint extract.

Chocolate cake can be kinda tricky sometimes. A lot of times it is very dry, mostly because people over bake, because they cant see the color change. A trick to remember when making cake or cupcakes is the spring back method. Instead of using a ton of toothpicks and chancing over baking, lightly press down on the cake with your finger and watch to see if the cake sinks slightly or bounces back up. If it bounces back up its done! Fool proof!

This particular recipe is amazingly moist, hence the name "super moist chocolate cake." Even here in Denver were cakes are eternally dry. The frosting was a little stiff for the first few cupcakes, but I thinned it out with milk and it worked like a charm.

Super Moist Chocolate Cake

Cake

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¹⁄₃ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
2 eggs (beaten)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Cocoa Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
¹⁄₃cup butter , softened (or margarine)
2 teaspoons vanilla (I used Peppermint Extract)
¹⁄₃cup baking cocoa
3 -4 tablespoons milk
1. Mix dry items ingredients in a bowl using a fork.

1. 2. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl/container.
  
  3. Combine dry and wet ingredients in a bowl mixing together with a fork.
  
  4. Transfer mixture to greased cake pan or cupcake tins.
  
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes. (Bake for approximately 15 minutes if making cupcakes).
  
  6. Set aside to cool before frosting.
  
  7. To begin the Chocolate Cocoa Frosting beat powdered sugar and butter until blended. (If using an electric mixer, use low speed).
  
  8. Stir in vanilla and cocoa.
  
  9. Gradually beat in just enough milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting
  
  becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar. Source