Since my tenth birthday, when all I wanted was new baking pans, it has been obvious that baking is a passion in my life.  I also have never been good at following other peoples orders, which in baking (and in a few other areas) gets me in some trouble.  My poor family has had to endure quite a few failures as I have tried to perfect my own recipes.  Can you imagine the horror of eating cupcake after cupcake?? I love that dear Mr. Insanity, will try all of my creations carefully telling me about texture, or what he thinks might be off in the flavor.  This recipe has finally gotten two thumbs up from the kids and the husband, and I hope from all of you as well.

First, I pull out a couple eggs from the fridge, pour the buttermilk into a measuring cup and then brew two cups of coffee.  One cup of coffee sits on the counter and I go enjoy the second cup while those things come to room temp.  After attempting to relax with a cup of coffee, and an outfit change (forgot where my mouth was and poured it down myself) ready to attack this recipe!   Time to chop chocolate!  This helps the chocolate to melt uniformly and not burn in the process.  Then I melt the chocolate and let it cool just a bit.   While that is cooling I sift together all of my dry ingredients.  This includes my cocoa.  I really like Hersheys Special Dark in this recipe.  I like the color and the flavor of this chocolate.  You can experiment with other chocolate, but this is a blend of types of unsweetened cocoa and other types might change the outcome of your cupcake

By this time my eggs should be good to go, so they get creamed together with my sugars. and then I pour in my melted chocolate

I then start the process of adding the remaining ingredients.  I add a little of my dry ingredients, then some buttermilk, and then dry ingredients, then buttermilk, then dry ingredients (usually I have over added the first two additions and just have a tiny little addition that last time) In between each addition I mix at a low speed for about ten seconds.  I then scrape down the bowl and do another ten second mix. It is super important not to overmix.  It seems like the opposite would be true, but I would rather a bit of unmixed batter than overmixing.

Now to the cupcake tins.  For YEARS I have struggled with over filling my cupcakes.  I have tried the icecream scoop method and the three quarters full etc., all to no avail!  Finally I just started putting my pan on a scale and weighing out how much batter works is the perfect amount.  For this recipe, 1.5 ounces is the sweet spot, if this seems a little to over the top for you, it is about two heaping tablespoons.

You should end up with about 18 cupcakes, plus a tiny bit to lick from the bowl.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Butter
• 2 Oz Semi Sweet Chocolate (chopped)
• ½ Cup Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 Cup Flour
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 Extra Large Eggs (Room Temp)
• ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
• ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
• ½ Cup of Buttermilk (Room Temp)
• ⅓ Cup of Strong Coffee Cooled
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat Oven to 350° and line two muffin tins with 18 liners.  Put Butter and Chocolate into microwave safe bowl and microwave for thirty seconds.  Stir and continue to microwave at ten second increments until melted.  Sift together Cocoa Powder, Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Salt.  Combine Buttermilk, Coffee and Vanilla. Beat Eggs with both Sugars for one minute at a medium speed.  Add melted chocolate and mix at medium for thirty seconds.  Scrape down bowl.  Add a third of the dry ingredients and mix at a low speed for ten seconds.  Add Half of your buttermilk mixture and mix low for ten seconds.  Repeat and finish with your remaining third of dry ingredients.  Scrape down your bowl and mix for another ten seconds.  Add two heaping tablespoons to each cupcake liner.  Bake for 16 – 20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean or you can press on the top of a cake and in bounces back.