Martha Stewart's Devils Food Cupcakes

I made Martha Stewart's devils food cupcakes for a baby shower at work on Friday.  The shower recipient is a chocolate lover, so I knew I had to find a rich chocolate option.  My original choice was lava cakes, but abandoned them because of the uncertainty of making them in the morning and then transporting them to the office and having to let them sit until lunchtime.  The devils food cake cupcakes did not disappoint!

Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, combine baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add half of the flour mixture, then the sour cream, and then the other half of the flour mixture.

Fill your cupcake tins about 80% full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Frost with chocolate frosting.