Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mascarpone Buttercream

Sometimes you just have to bust out some decadent chocolate cupcakes. Times like, when it's your mother-in-law's birthday, and a week before Easter (and you're co-hosting a dinner party), and you have multiple work presentations the following week. 

Oh man, I need a cupcake. It's only 10 AM. I think I'll have a cupcake... and then a bike ride. Good Monday. 

Thank you, Mama for putting together this recipe--and making them for my birthday! Love you! 

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Mascarpone Buttercream

Makes approximately 30 cupcakes

For Ganache Filling:
   2 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
   1/4 heavy cream
   1 tbsp confectioners sugar

1. Place all ingredients in microwave safe bowl. Heat 20-30 sec. Whisk until smooth.
2. Transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until chilled, no longer than 30 min.

For the Cupcakes:
   3 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
   1/3 cup cocoa
   1 cup hot coffee
   1 cup (4 1/8 oz) bread flour (if you use AP flour like I did, you'll get flat cupcakes, but they'll still be tasty)
   1cup (5 1/4 oz) granulated sugar
   1 tsp salt
   1tsp baking soda
   6 tbsp vegetable oil
   2 large eggs
   2 tsp white vinegar
   1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Place chocolate and cocoa in med bowl. Pour hot coffee over and whisk until smooth. Cool in fridge for 20 min.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in med bowl and set aside.
4. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into chocolate mixture until smooth.  Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. Divide evenly among lined pans, filling 2/3 full. Place a small amount of ganache in each ( slightly rounded tsp for regular cupcakes, about 1/4-1/3 for mini). Bake until just firm to touch (17-19 for regular, 12-15 for mini). 
6. Cool in pans on rack for 10 min, then carefully remove from pans and cool completely on racks. Ready to frost in about 1 hour.

For the Mascarpone Buttercream:
Makes 3 cups
   4 ounces (1/2 of an 8 ounce tub) mascarpone cheese
   1/2 cup butter, softened
   1/3 cup Hershey's "Special Dark" Cocoa
   2 tablespoons milk
   2 teaspoons vanilla
   1 16 ounce box confectioners sugar, sifted

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese, butter, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla with an electric stand mixer on medium to high speed until creamy.  
2. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth.  Beat in enough additional milk (only if needed), 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach consistency needed for cupcakes.