Cappuccino-chocolate cupcakes

CLASSIC YELLOW CAKE BATTER Directions:

• Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. Butter should be soft enough to hold a thumbprint but still keep its shape.

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy about 6 minutes.

• Beat in eggs and whites one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla.

• In another large bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt.

• With mixer on low, add 1/3 the flour mixture to butter mixture, beating to combine.

Beat in 3/4 C buttermilk, 1/3 the flour mixture and another 3/4 buttermilk and remaining flour mixture until just combined. Scrape down bowl as needed.

CUPCAKE Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 standard muffin cuts with paper liners. In a small bowl, combine espresso powder and 2 tsp hot water. Stir expresso and chocolate into batter; divide among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes, rotating halfway though. Let cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to racks and let cool completely. (You can store unfrosted cupcakes in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.)

Set a large bowl over (not in) a pot of barely simmering water. Add sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar and whisk constantly until mixture is warm and frothy and sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and, using an electric mixer, beat on medium until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Increase speed to high and beat until whites form medium-stiff, glossy peaks, about 3 minutes.

Transfer frosting to a large zip-top bag and snip a 1/4-inch hole in one corner. Frost cupcakes, then finely grate some chocolate on top.