Sun Decorated Cupcakes

CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 350-degrees and line three cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs and sugar and mix on high speed until light and fluffy (6-8 minutes)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, gently add the dry mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the mayonnaise. Add the vanilla extract. Mix only until ingredients have incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently add the hot water and coffee to the mixture, stirring by hand. Stir until combined.

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake cupcakes one pan at a time.

Bake cupcakes in 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out without raw batter (crumbs are okay....you don't want a dry, over-baked cupcake!).

Bake remaining cupcakes one pan at a time. Remove cupcakes from the pan after they are cool enough to handle (approximately 5-minutes), and let cool completely on a wire wrack.

FROSTING: Cut COLD butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment on an electric mixer, whip the butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat the butter until it is pale in color.

Add two cups of the powdered sugar to the mixer, and mix on low until incorporated into the butter.

Add two teaspoons of vanilla extract to the mixer and mix until combined.

Add two more cups powdered sugar to the mixer and mix on low until sugar is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3-minutes.

Add the last cup of powdered sugar, two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mixer. Beat on low until the ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and beat for another 5 minutes.

Frost onto cooled cupcakes.