Triple Chocoalte Cupcakes by Julie Vision in the Kitchen

The Cake...

Dark Chocolate Cake (Yield 2 dozen standard sized cupcakes)

Adapted from Sweetapolita's Rich & Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups dark cocoa powder, such as Hershey's Special Dark

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong black coffee

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

1/2 cup melted butter, cooled

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Step #1- Preheat oven to 350*F.

Step #2 - Mix together the four, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Step #3 - In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla and butter.

Step #4 - Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and fill it with the egg mixture.

As you stir, slowly add in the milk and coffee. When you are done, the batter will be soupy and look like liquified Oreos.

Step #5 - Fill cupcake papers 3/4 of the way full and bake at 350* F for 17-20 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

The Icing...

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup cocoa powder (regular, not extra dark)

8 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Step #1 - Mix all ingredients together with a mixer until you reach the desired consistency. Use less/more sugar to achieve the thickness you are looking for. You want the icing relatively thick for this so that it holds it's shape when you dunk it in chocolate.

Step #2 - Ice cupcakes. To ice the cupcakes, pipe the icing into a tall peak. I used a Wilton 1M tip.

Step #3 - Freeze the cupcakes after they are iced. Give them at least a few hours, overnight is best. You want them to be solid when you dip them in the chocolate, or else the frosting will wilt and/or melt into your dipping chocolate.

The Chocolate Coating....

16 ounces high quality dark chocolate

2 tablespoon coconut oil

Step #1 - Melt chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or using a double boiler until oil and chocolate are smooth and well mixed together. I used the microwave-- it's a lot less mess. When using the microwave, only heat the chocolate for 10-15 seconds at a time. Stir between each 10-15 second blast. If you melt it faster than that, it will burn. It should only take 3 or 4 blasts in the microwave at 10-15 seconds each. (Oh, and, because it can come as a shock to some, coconut oil is a solid. Don't think about it too much, it will gross you out of eating it.)

Step #2 -Dip the frozen cupcakes in the chocolate! Make sure you pour the melted chocolate into something deep enough that you can dip the cupcake without touching the bottom.

Step #3 -Refrigerate until chocolate is set. This should only take about an hour or so. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator, but serve at room temperature.