The Best Chocolate Birthday Cupcakes...with Fudgy Buttercream

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, greek yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until there are no longer any clumps of flour. Add the hot coffee and mix until combined. The batter should be pourable, but not super thin. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.3. Pour the batter among the muffin tins and bake 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely before frosting.

Fudgy Buttercream

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until the butter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat, scraping down the sides as needed another 2 minutes or until there are no streaks of white. Add 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whip the frosting for 2-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. If desired add the remaining tablespoon of the heavy cream. Taste the frosting and add more powdered sugar if you like a sweeter or thicker frosting.2. Frost each cupcake as desired. The cupcakes will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, bring to room temp before eating.