Football Shaped Chocolate Cupcakes

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
4. Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with batter.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For the Football-Shaped Icing:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the unsweetened chocolate in 20-30 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
3. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until well combined and smooth.
4. Add the melted chocolate to the frosting and mix until evenly incorporated.
5. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more milk to achieve the desired consistency.
6. To create the football-shaped icing decoration, transfer a portion of the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe the outline of football shapes onto the cupcakes.
7. Allow the icing to set for a few minutes.
8. Fill in the football shapes with more frosting, using a spreading knife or an offset spatula.
9. Let the icing fully set before serving.