Devil's Food Cupcakes

Ingredients

For Cupcakes:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons HERSHEY'S unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk

For Frosting:

• 1 (3.53 ounces) CACAO RESERVE BY HERSHEY'S 65% Extra Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped*
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  
• 1/4 cup whole milk plus additional if necessary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 22 muffin cups with foil or paper cupcake liners.

To make the cupcakes: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, for about 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 batches, and beat just until combined well.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each one about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool.

With an electric mixer on medium speed beat the butter for about 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Beat in the chocolate. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, and continue to beat until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency, adding up to 2 tablespoons of milk, if necessary.

Spread the frosting generously over the cupcakes.

Note: If you can't find the specific chocolate called for, you can substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity-the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor. Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.