Beattys Chocolate Cupcakes

Make the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the tops of two 12-cup muffin pans, line all the cups with paper liners and set aside. Sift 1 ³⁄₄ cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, ³⁄₄ cups of unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp of salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand). Mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine 1 cup buttermilk, ¹⁄₂ cup vegetable oil, 2 whole eggs, and 1 tsp of vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. With the mixer still on low, add 1 cup of freshly brewed hot coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom fo the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter will be very liquid.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Make the chocolate buttercream icing. Chop 12 oz of semisweet chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Beat 4 sticks of room temperature butter in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or bay hand) until light, pale and fluffy for about 3 minutes. Add 2 egg yolks at room temperature and 2 tsp of vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the 2 ¹⁄₂ cups of sifted confectioners sugar, then beat on medium speed, scraping down the bowl as needed until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the 2 tbl of coffee powder in 2 tsp of of hot tap water. On low speed, add the chocoate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended - do not whip.

Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe or spread the chocolate buttercream icing on each and store at room temperature.