Cupcakes - Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 12 tbsp. butter, melted and cooked slightly
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Chocolate Frosting - Ingredients

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 2 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 standard muffin tins.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until well mixed.
4. Add sugar in a steady stream, whisking constantly.
5. Whisk melted butter in gradually. Next add buttermilk.
6. Add dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time, whisking between additions until few streaks of flour remain. Stir batter until most lumps are gone, taking care not to overmix.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake with pans side-by-side (middle position of oven) until cupcakes color and toothpick comes out clean, 18-22 minutes.
8. Cool in pan for 4 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
9. For frosting, beat butter in electric mixer until fluffy (about 30 seconds). Add sugar 1 cup at a time.
10. Add cocoa, raise speed to high and mix for 1 minute, then add melted chocolate.
11. Reduce speed to medium low, add in milk, vanilla, and salt.
12. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy (about 30 additional seconds).