Moist Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
2. Line 12 regular or 24 mini muffin cups with paper liners, butter each cup, or spray with your favourite nonstick vegetable spray.
3. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients well: sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients except hot water: eggs, mashed banana, milk, oil, vanilla extract and almond extract if using.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir or whisk until combined.
6. Add the hot water and mix. The batter will be quite thin but don’t worry, it’s fine.
7. Pour or spoon the batter into the muffin cups no more than 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
9. Frost with your favourite frosting, or serve plain with a side of whipped cream or ice cream.