Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting

Apparently I made something with buttermilk recently.  I know this because I found an almost completely full container of buttermilk in my fridge.  It was set to expire the next day.  I can't, for the life of me, remember what I used that buttermilk for.  Anyhow, I didn't want to waste the leftover buttermilk, so I googled recipes using buttermilk and came up with this one.  I thought the cupcakes turned out well, although I'd probably tweak the recipe a bit if I made them again.  But, I thought the frosting was ahmazing!  I will be using this frosting recipe for many different things.  Or maybe I'll make it just to eat all by itself.  Out of the bowl.  By myself.  Don't judge.

Slightly adapted from: Emeril

Here's what I used to make the cupcakes:
3 Cups Flour

3 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Stick Butter

1/2 Cup Shortening

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Water

2 Eggs

1/2 Teaspoon baking soda

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract

Here's what I did to make the cupcakes:
I lined a muffin pan with cupcake holders.  I mixed the flour, cocoa, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  On the stove, over medium heat, I combined the butter, shortening, sugar, and water.  I let that mixture boil.  Once it boiled, I poured it into the bowl holding the dry ingredients and mixed them all together well.  Next I added the eggs, soda, buttermilk and vanilla.  After all was mixed together well, I filled each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way full and put the pan in the oven.  I baked the cupcakes for about 18 minutes.  Make sure to pull them out of the oven when they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Here's what I used to make the frosting:

1 Stick Butter

1/2 Cup 2% Milk

1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 Pound Powdered Sugar (half a bag) 

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Here's what I did to make the frosting:
First, I mixed together the powdered sugar and the coca powder.  In a pan over medium heat I combined the butter and milk and heated until it boiled.  I added the butter/milk mixture to the sugar/coca mixture and whisked everything together well.  I added the vanilla and whisked to combine.  I iced the cupcakes while they were still warm.

     Hint:  If you do not ice the cupcakes while they are warm and the
     frosting is fresh, the frosting will be dull when it cools, rather
     than shiny.  It will not affect the taste at all, the cupcakes will just
     be less attractive.
This recipe made about 27 cupcakes for me.

Enjoy!