Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cupcake pans with 24 baking cups.Place the cocoa powder in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment andpour the hot coffee over. Mix on low speed until a thick paste forms and the mixturestops steaming, about 1 minute.
Increase the mixer speed to medium. In a 4 scup measuring cup, combine the buttermilk,canola oil, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, and mix lightly with a fork, ensuring the yolksare broken. Slowly pour into the mixer bowl.
Stop the mixer, detach the paddle, and scrape the bottom of the bowl well to loosen anycaked-on cocoa. Reattach the paddle and turn the mixer to medium, letting it run for 1minute. Stop the mixer again.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda and add to the batter. Mixon low speed until just combined. Remove the bowl and paddle and use the paddle toscrape down the sides of the bowl, ensuring everything is mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared baking cups, filling them two thirds of the way.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.
The cupcakes are done when the centers spring back when you touch them.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let cool completely.
Salted Caramel: In a small nonreactive saucepan, mix the water, sugar, corn syrup, and cream of tartar.
Mix with a fork until the mixture resembles wet sand. Bring to a boil. Continue to cook, leaving the pan undisturbed, until the sugar begins to change color.
Over heat, begin gently swirling the pan until the mixture becomes a beautiful goldenbrown. The darker it gets, the more intense the flavor gets—the French like it practicallyburned. Us? We go somewhere in the middle.
As soon as your desired color is reached, quickly remove the pan from the heat andImmediately dump in all the cream. This is going to steam and bubble and really just begenerally angry, so stand back and don’t keep your face too close to the pan. The creamis going to stop the caramel from cooking any further.
Add the salt. Using a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula, gently stir until well mixed(and again, don’t forget those saucepan corners!).
If any lumps develop, return the pan to the burner over low heat and gently stir untildissolved. Pour the cream into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Assembly: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with the salted caramel–nougat buttercream andpipe onto each chocolate cupcake. Sprinkle a generous amount of peanuts on top of each cupcake.
Drizzle with the reserved salted caramel and the ganache.
Half-Assed Corner: Use store-bought caramel sauce.
Note: Keep Salted Caramel in a jar in the refrigerator -- it lasts forever. Spoon over ice cream, microwave until liquid and thin out with some half-and-half to make adip for fresh fruit.
