Chocolate cupcakes

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C, put twelve paper liners in a cupcake tin and brew some hot coffee. The coffee needs to be hot when you use it to wake up the aroma of the cocoa. The oven is ready when the heating light turns off and the coffee is still steaming.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Sift 125 g all-purpose flour, 40 g cocoa powder, 4 g baking soda and 3 g baking powder into a large bowl, add 190 g granulated sugar and a pinch salt and whisk well. Cocoa powder clumps very easily, so sifting it thoroughly keeps the cupcakes free of dry pockets of flour. The mixture is ready when it's an even brown and loose and airy.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add 50 g eggs, 120 g buttermilk, 60 g vegetable oil and 4 g vanilla extract and stir from the center outward until combined. The acidic buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to make the cupcakes rise soft and tender. The batter is ready when it's thick and smooth with no dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Slowly pour 120 g hot brewed coffee into the bowl while stirring gently. The hot liquid blooms the cocoa and thins the batter, which is what makes the crumb so moist. Don't worry when the batter looks as thin as a sauce; that's exactly the right consistency, as long as it's smooth and lump-free.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Use a spouted cup or a small ladle to pour the batter into the liners until they're about two-thirds full, then tap the tin lightly on the counter. Pouring thin batter from a spout is neater and more even than spooning it. The tin is ready when all the cups are filled to the same level and the batter is flat on top.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Put the tin on the middle rack and bake at 175°C for 18 to 22 minutes. It's hard to judge doneness by color with chocolate cake, so test with a skewer. They're done when the tops are slightly cracked, spring back when pressed and a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

   Bake at 175°C for about 18 to 22 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Let the cupcakes rest in the tin for about five minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely, about forty minutes. The moist crumb needs time to set, and frosting too soon will make the buttercream melt. They're ready when the tops and the bottoms of the liners feel cool to the touch.

   Suggested time: about 40 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Beat 150 g softened unsalted butter until fluffy, sift in 220 g powdered sugar and 40 g cocoa powder in three additions, then add 40 g heavy cream, 3 g vanilla extract and a pinch salt and beat for five minutes more. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and deepens the chocolate. The buttercream is ready when it's smooth and brown, light and fluffy and holds a peak when you lift the beaters.

   Suggested time: about 5 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe rosettes or swirls onto each cooled cupcake. Piping from the outside in covers the whole top and keeps the cupcakes moist longer. They're finished when the frosting is evenly tall with clear ridges, and you can sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top.

   Mark step 9 as done