Chocolate merlot cupcakes with buttercream frosting

After dinner, I felt like I needed a little chocolate, so I researched a bit and found this recipe for chocolate merlot cupcakes from "life tastes like food" blog that I modified a bit.

3/4 Cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 Cups sugar
4 Eggs
1 Cup Merlot
2 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 Ounces dark chocolate, melted
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with cupcake baking cups*. Cream the butter and sugar together, then mix in the eggs one at a time until everything is incorporated. Then add the Merlot. In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the dry ingredients together and then slowly add to the butter mixture. Mix in the melted chocolate. Pour batter into the cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes around 20 cupcakes.


My bottle of red ran dry before I reached the one cup mark, so it will taste a little less boozy. I know! Sad right? Whatcha gonna do? Run out and buy another bottle of the same brand? Thought about it....I happened to have two new bottles waiting for me in my trunk that I almost forgot about ( or rather was too lazy to go back outside and get them).
You can also use whatever butter you have in the house, salted or un-salted. Both ways the recipe will taste good.
If you use less amount chocolate in your batter, for example 4 oz of 60%cocoa bittersweet ghiradelli your cupcakes will come out lighter in color but still very tasty.




Almond buttercream frosting


Ingredients :

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup softened butter ( make sure it's softened and not melted. Should be room temperature and feel like its gonna squish if you touch the package too hard)
1/2 tablespoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water

Cream butter in mixer with paddle attachment for two minutes. Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time until incorporated. Add almond extract. Add vanilla extract. Add water.

Half way through spreading my frosting, I decided to make it chocolate based and added a tablespoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of water until it have the consistency of a mousse.

Makes 19 ( if you over fill the cups like I do). Ideally if you fill your cups 3/4 of the way full it should make 24, but who wants tiny cupcakes?

Enjoy!