Rich mocha flavor balanced by a light, tender crumb. These cupcakes are a universal favorite, from non-coffee drinkers to toddlers to the coffee obsessed.

I’m finding I have fewer and fewer words these days.

Which I know is how people prefer their dessert bloggers to write. “Here’s a recipe. Here’s some tips. Enjoy. Or don’t. I do not care. End of blog.” Well, at least that’s how I imagine Ron Swanson’s food blog would sound.

But you get the idea. Except I choose to use this platform to write as well as bake. Those are my two passions. I always, always wanted to be a writer. And sometimes I have strong opinions about the world or a story I think is worth sharing. And that’s why I use headlines so you can skip down to what you care to read.

Only, lately, this writer’s heart is out of words. Between the election and covid and BLM and nearly everyone being offensive/offended and the fact that every single moment of modern American history has to turn into some form of “us vs. them”…I’ve lost my taste for words. For engaging in any of this. Wake me up when November ends. (I’d never say when 2020 ends, ‘cause I ain’t missing Christmas.)

So, yeah. If you feel the same way, I’m with you. You don’t have to have the same political opinions as me. You don’t have to believe the same things as me. All are welcome. And I think most of us are just weary.

So have a mocha cupcake and enjoy a moment of silence in this cacophony.

How to make dark chocolate mocha cupcakes

First, sift the dry ingredients, except the sugar, together into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Then whisk in the sugar until well-blended.

In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until fully blended (making sure the eggs are emulsified/incorporated).

Now, make the mocha part. Make 1 cup double strength coffee or espresso. Pour over 2 ounces dark chocolate chips or chopped dark baking chocolate. I recommend 70-80% cocoa, but you can go with whatever you prefer.

Whisk well until the chocolate is melted.

Slowly stream the mocha mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly and quickly. Don’t be scared to go slowly or even pause pouring so you can whisk well.

With the paddle attachment of your stand mixture into low, slowly stream the liquid into the dry ingredients. This should take at least 30 seconds or so and will clump up then thin out. Once it’s all combined, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides, bottom, and paddle. Then mix on medium for exactly 2 minutes.

Carefully pour into cupcake liners (I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to make this easier, since it’s a thin batter).

Bake 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in one of the middle cupcakes comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Tips for this recipe

Sub espresso or espresso powder

If you’re able to, make double strength coffee or about 4-5 shots of espresso (I did 3 double shots, but it’s really hard to tell on my machine if that’s actually 6 shots—it made 8 ounces and that was good enough for me). However, if your coffee maker won’t accommodate this or you don’t know how to make double strength or if your coffee is already ground and is on the coarse side, you can make a cup of regular coffee then add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened espresso powder. Or, if you don’t want to make any coffee or just don’t have a coffee makes, mix 1 cup boiling water with 2 tablespoons espresso powder.

Sift your dry ingredients

It really, truly makes a difference. The two times I’ve made bad chocolate cake were when I didn’t bother to sift the dry ingredients (except the sugar, that’s just not sift-able). It either makes a dry, lumpy batter or you end up over mixing it to get it smooth.

Use room temperature eggs and milk

Theres really, truly a difference. First, if you add hot coffee to cold eggs, you’re likely going to scramble the eggs. Second, room temperature eggs will absorb into the flour better, creating a cohesive batter and fluffy cake. Weirdly, it also helps the cupcakes to rise.

Use hot coffee

The coffee has to melt the chocolate, so you need it hot. It doesn’t need to be at a rolling boil, but don’t let it sit while you make everything else.

Make your own buttermilk in a pinch

You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a measuring cup then add whole milk until you have 1 cup total. Whisk and let it sit at least 5 minutes (or 30, to bring it to room temperature). I find it helps react with the baking soda and baking powder and makes the cupcakes rise better.

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Dark Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

prep time: 10-15 minutes

cook time: 15-18 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup hot, double strength coffee (see note about using espresso or espresso powder)

2 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70%; use chips, chunks or baking bar)

1 2/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process will make a richer chocolate taste, and you can add up to 2 tablespoons for a death-by-chocolate taste)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)

1 cup buttermilk (see note for making your own--I think that works better for this recipe)

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup avocado or olive oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 (325 if using convection). Line 2 cupcake pans with liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. You’ll know this is the case when it’s evenly cocoa-y.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla until very lightly frothy.

Prep the coffee/chocolate mixture. Add the very hot, fresh, double strength coffee to the chocolate in a cup or small bowl. Let sit for a minute then whisk until smooth. If it’s not wanting to mix or if the coffee isn’t quite hot enough, you can mix them in a small heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan filled with 1” simmering water on medium heat.

Slowly—SLOWLY—whisk the coffee/chocolate mixture into the egg mixture while whisking quickly and constantly. Once you’ve added a little more than half the coffee you can speed up your pour a bit, because the eggs are tempered by then. Don’t be scared to stop and whisk as you go to prevent scrambling the eggs.

With the paddle attachment of your stand mixer on the lowest setting, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. This should take about 30 seconds, and the batter will clump up then thin out as you pour. Stop, scrape the bowl, getting to the very bottom, then increase the speed to medium and mix for exactly 2 minutes. Don’t over mix.

Pour into cupcake liners, filling about ⅔ full. I used a ¼ cup measuring cup and that worked well (you don’t actually get a full ¼ cup in each liner, but it worked to get the batter in without making a mess, since this is a thin batter). Bake for 15-18 minutes, checking at 12 minutes to be safe. Bake until a toothpick inserted in one of the middle cupcakes comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the cupcake pan at least 5 minutes (or completely, both work fine).

Frost and enjoy! (Probably with a glass of milk...this is beautifully rich!)