Marry Me Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 5 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• ½ cup boiling water
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For Decorating:

• Chocolate or vanilla buttercream frosting
• Sprinkles
• Fondant bears (optional but absolutely adorable!)

Instructions

1. Bloom the Chocolate Place the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate, Dutch-process cocoa powder, and instant espresso powder in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and let it sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk until everything is completely melted and smooth with no lumps. This blooming technique draws out maximum chocolate flavor. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly while you prep the remaining ingredients.
2. Preheat and Prep Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners. If you want extra insurance against sticking, give the liners a light spray of cooking spray.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, fine salt, and baking soda until well combined. Make sure there are no lumps of brown sugar. Set aside.
4. Add Wet Ingredients to Chocolate Into your slightly cooled chocolate mixture, add the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, egg yolk, white vinegar, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until smooth and well combined. The mixture should be glossy and uniform in color.
5. Combine Wet and Dry Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold everything together gently until just smooth with no dry streaks remaining. Be careful not to overmix! A few gentle folds are all you need. Overmixing develops gluten which makes cupcakes tough instead of tender. The batter will be thick and glossy.
6. Fill the Cupcake Pan Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined cupcake cups, filling each one about three-quarters full. An ice cream scoop makes this really easy and keeps the portions even. Don't overfill or they'll overflow and lose their domed shape.
7. Bake Place the pan in your preheated oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. The cupcakes are done when they're domed on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Start checking at 16 minutes since every oven is different.
8. Cool Completely Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This is really important! Frosting warm cupcakes will cause the buttercream to melt and slide right off. Let them cool for at least an hour before frosting.
9. Frost and Decorate Once completely cool, frost each cupcake generously with your chocolate or vanilla buttercream using a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip, or just spread it on with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with sprinkles and place a little fondant bear on top for the most adorable finishing touch. Now stand back and admire how cute they are before someone eats them all!
10. Serve and Enjoy Serve immediately or store in an airtight container. These cupcakes are best enjoyed at room temperature so the buttercream is soft and the cupcake is tender. They will make someone very happy!