cinnamon mocha cupcakes

I make no secret of the fact that I am a fan of cupcakes. Well, really, baked goods in general. But I really, really like cupcakes. They appeal to my designer self, they appeal to my kid self, they're simply appealing in general for the multitude of options they offer.

I thank Denise for the reminder that cupcakes can be baked in ice cream cones (they're even callllllled cake cones) to take these from tasty to quite joyous.

The original recipe lies here but I've modified as per usual. I plan to ice these with peppermint buttercream icing, or a basic chocolate icing. They're pretty awesome without icing, too, if that's your thing.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar plus a couple of spillovers so it's not quite 2/3 but more than 1/2
  
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 14 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon: Next time I may add even more
  
• 1/4 cup brewed espresso: I use one of these Bialetti stovetop espresso makers
  
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee and buttermilk.
2. Put cake cones one each in a muffin tin to keep them steady, then fill them to just shy of the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.