Recipe: Updated Valentine's Day Chocolate Russian Cupcakes

For the Superbowl I made White Russian Cupcakes with Espresso Whipped Cream , but for as good as they came out, I wanted to try one more time and tweak. I wanted to get a fluffier cupcake and since it's Valentines Day I decided to add some chocolate!

Chocolate Russian Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbs unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz Vodka (preferably Vanilla Vodka)
1/4 cup espresso
1/2 cup bailey's coffee creamer
2-3 tbs coccoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan. The recipe makes around 16 cupcakes.
Sift the flour, baking powder (hint: be generous with your teaspoons), coccoa powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
In a bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the eggwhites to soft peaks. Don't overwhip and put to the side.
In another bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla, vodka and coffee and mix until smooth. Blend in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the bailey's cream. Start and end with flour. Once well incorporated, put your hand mixer away. Gently fold the egg whites into the rest of the batter using a rubber spatula.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.

They came out a lot fluffier this way and I really enjoyed the hint of chocolate. For frosting, I made the same espresso whipped cream, but did it in larger quantities, meaning I frosted every single cupcake this time.  :)

Espresso Whipped Cream
2 cups whipping cream
6 tbls brown sugar
2 tsps vanilla
4-8 tbls espresso

Whip the cream and brown sugar until you get still peaks (this will take considerably longer than if you whip only one cup at a time). Fold in the vanilla and espresso gently.

Then for toppings, I made (successfully this time!) red glitter sugar.  I took about a quarter cup of sugar (I didn't properly measure) and mixed it with 3 drops of red food coloring. Then I baked the red sugar for about 10 minutes at 300°F, checking on it ever few minutes.  If it over heats you wind up with colorful caramel rather than glitter sugar.  So watch out!
Then after frosting, I sprinkled the cupcakes with the sugar and voila, Valentines day cupcakes! Beautiful and tasty.