Directions for the Chocolate Cupcakes
 

• Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Line two 12-cup muffin pans with standard-size cupcake liners and set them aside. 
   
• In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, espresso powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt, add the superfine sugar and whisk together. set aside for now.
   
• Add the small pieces of room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or use the paddle attachment instead.
   
• Mix the butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. ( this takes about 4 to 5 minutes) Make sure to stop the mixer at times and take time to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl and also shake out the butter that collects inside your whisk as well. For this cupcake recipe, it is so important to take the time to properly cream the butter do not rush this through this process. This process will give you a tender and velvety chocolate cupcake.
   
• As soon as the butter is properly creamed, add the flour -cocoa – sugar mixture, all of the eggs, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream to the creamed butter mixture.
  With the mixer on the lowest setting, beat slowly for only → 10 seconds.
   
• Stop the mixer scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again, shake out the batter that collects inside your whisk as well. Attach the whisk attachment again.
   
• With the mixer on the lowest setting, ( with about 10 high-speed pulses in between) mix until well incorporated, and until all traces of egg have disappeared but not more than → 20 seconds altogether.
   
• Remove the bowl from the mixer, Use your spatula, scrape the side and bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have settled there. Combine with your spatula.
   
• Scoop the batter into prepared pans, using a standard size ice cream scoop, filling about 3⁄4 full.
   
• If time permits; let the batter rest for 20 minutes, it makes for better cupcakes. ( optional) otherwise, proceed as directed.
   
• Bake in the center of the oven for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
   
• Let them cool in their pans for a few minutes, then remove the cupcakes from their pans and allow them to completely cool on a wire rack before filling/frosting.
   
• If not used right away, Store your Cupcakes in a cake box loosely covered with plastic wrap for up to 1 to 2 days at room temperature.
    Because of the cupcake containing butter, I do not recommend storing these cupcakes in the fridge as they will harden.
   
• Without frosting, these cupcakes can be re-heated in the microwave for a few seconds and will give you a warm and delicious chocolate cupcake just as they come straight from the oven. 

Directions for the Milk Chocolate Fudge
 

• In a medium-size saucepan, add powdered sugar, heavy cream, butter, milk chocolate, salt, and strongly brewed coffee.
   
• Warm it over medium heat, stir at all times, until the chocolate/butter is melted and there are no lumps, around 10 minutes.
   
• Let it cool in the saucepan, once cool, Transfer the milk chocolate fudge mixture to a small bowl.
   
• Place the fudge in the fridge for about 30 to 60 minutes all depending on how cold your fridge is.
   
• Once the chocolate cupcakes have cooled, use a small, sharp knife or an apple corer to remove a small amount of cake from the middle of each cupcake.
   
• Take the Milk chocolate Fudge out of the fridge, transfer it to a piping bag, or use a spoon and carefully spoon some of the milk chocolate fudge into each well until just about full. 
   
• Set aside while you prepare the Mascarpone Coffee Frosting.
  
   

Direction for the mascarpone coffee Frosting

 

• Make Strongly brewed coffee or espresso coffee and place the warm coffee into the fridge to cool while you prepare the frosting.
   
• Sift your powdered sugar through a mesh strainer.
   
• In a large bowl using an electric beater ( or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) add the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, sifted confectioners sugar, and vanilla bean paste.
   
• Whip on low speed for a minute, then turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and whip until fluffy and thick. About 3-4 minutes)
   
• Take the brewed coffee out of the fridge, Add the coffee, and with a spatula combine.
   
• If needed, use your spatula and stir the coffee frosting.
   
• Fit a pastry bag with a large piping tip ( I use an Ateco #849 Nozzle ) and half fill with the mascarpone Coffee Frosting.
   
• Pipe swirls of the Mascarpone Coffee frosting onto the cupcakes, decorate as you wish, I added a chocolate button on top made with a button silicon mold.