The Humble Gourmand

Ingredients:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ⅓ cups baker's (superfine) sugar
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ Tbsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 6 Tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Greek yogurt, or plain, if you can't find Greek
• 24 cupcake liners

Espresso buttercream filling

Making the frosting

Filling cupcakes with the pastry bag

It takes some practice!

Cupcakes ready for frosting

Instructions:

Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  
• Mix butter and baker's sugar with an electric mixer on high until the mixture's color lightens, about 5 minutes.
  
• Reduce speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, until fully combined.
  
• Add half the flour mixture and continue mixing on low. Add the Greek yogurt and vanilla, then the rest of the flour. Mix until just combined.
  
• Spoon into lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  
• Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.

Espresso Buttercream Filling

2 Tbsp. hot water
1.5 tsp instant espresso powder
1.5 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla

• Dissolve espresso powder in hot water and set aside.
  
• With electric mixer, mix the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and the espresso mixture. Whip until creamy, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

9 oz. dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
0.5 c. baker's sugar
3 egg whites
0.5 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of cream of tartar

• Melt chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool. Leave pot of simmering water on the stove.
  
• Place egg whites, cream of tartar, and baker's sugar in a stainless steel bowl and place over the double boiler. Whisk by hand -- rotating the bowl and removing it from the heat, if necessary, to prevent the egg whites from cooking -- until they are warm to the touch.
  
• Grab the electric mixer again and beat on high until the meringue holds a stiff peak. Add butter and continue to mix.
  
• Add chocolate and vanilla and mix until combined.

To assemble the cupcakes:

• Add the espresso buttercream frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a plain attachment.
  
• Insert the tip of the pastry bag into the top of each cupcake. Push the tip nearly all the way through, then pull it back a bit. Inject about 1 Tbsp. of frosting, then carefully remove. (It's good to get a hang of the pastry bag by practicing on a plate first. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of filling left.) Just as the cupcake starts to inflate, stop filling it -- otherwise it will crack, or shoot out the sides!
  
• Top each cupcake with the chocolate frosting.