Chocolate Graduation Cupcakes

This graduation cupcake was inspired from the Cake Central's Pinterest board for their Graduation Cupcake Inspiration Challenge. It was a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and modeling chocolate decorations. The theme I had chosen was "Go and rule the world Grads". I am going to share the recipe for chocolate cupcakes which is originally adapted from Joy of Baking.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup oil (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature)
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line  muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let it cool to room temperature. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat egg and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the oil and the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until risen and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

This makes around 12 small cupcakes (2 inch diameter) or 6 regular cupcakes.