Chocolate Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners into cupcake pans. Recipe will make about 26 cupcakes.

Combine chocolate, cocoa powder and instant coffee in a medium metal bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another medium sized bowl.

Beat brown sugar, white sugar and mayonnaise in a large bowl until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. (I use a stand mixer to get the job done). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating until blended after each addition and making sure to scrape down the sides of bowl. Evenly divide the batter into the cupcake liners.

Bake cupcakes about 25 to 27 minutes. Cupcakes should be firm to the touch with a little spring when you test them. Remove pans from the oven. Cool cupcakes in pans for 5 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make sure to start your frosting with your ingredients at room temperature. You want your butter soft but not too soft. Perfectly softened butter makes all the difference in your frosting recipes.

In the large bowl of your stand mixer cream together butter and Biscoff spread until well blended and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add sifted confectioners’ sugar until all sugar is incorporated. Add a few drops of milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. You are looking for a consistency that is light and fluffy. It should not look like a cookie dough. My trick to making the best frosting is to continue to whip frosting for another 3 minutes after everything is mixed in. You will end up with a soft fluffy frosting, the perfect consistency. Pipe or spread frosting onto the top of the cooled cupcakes.