Cupcake 1 - Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes

Thoughts
Nice dense chocolate cupcake, good crumb. The wine helped to intensify the chocolate. I used cream cheese icing and thought it was a bit much, but I'm generally not an icing fan.

Scale of 1-10, 8.5

Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes

1/2 C Dutch process coca powder
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken in small pieces
1/2 C boiling water
8 ozs (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 C AP flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 C medium to full bodied merlot

Icing
Two 8 oz containers mascarpone cheese at room temperature (or substitute cream cheese)
2 c confectioners' sugar
If substituting cream cheese at 1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line two cupcake pans with liners.

In medium bowl combine coca and bittersweet chocolate, whisk in boiling water. Mix until melted and combined.

Combine flour, salt and baking powder, set aside. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour mixture in batches, alternating with wine and chocolate. Mix well between each addition.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake 17-20 minutes, until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack in muffin pan.

For icing, lightly beat marscopone, add sugar, beat until creamy.