• Preheat oven to 373* degrees F, Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners
• In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt
• Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
• Fill each moffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comess out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled. frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the copcakes with a small spatula or if piping us a large wilton 1m open star tip to make lovely swirls,

Chocolate Frosting

• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• IN the bowl of your electic mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute) Beat in the vanilla. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. increase the speed to medium hight and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2-3 minutes)