German Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda 
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 1.5 cups buttermilk well-shaken (or 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
• 1 tablespoon hot-brewed coffee prepared
• 1.3 cups brown sugar dark packed
• 3  egg yolks 
• 4  eggs for 30 minutes at room temperature
• 12 ounces evaporated milk 
• 2 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar 
• 0.8 cup heavy cream 
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• 1.3 cup brown sugar light packed
• 1.8 cups pecans toasted chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon sea salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon sea salt fine
• 0.3 cup bittersweet chocolate cooled melted
• 2 cups coconut or sweetened packed flaked toasted (if desired)
• 1.3 sticks butter unsalted
• 2 sticks butter unsalted softened
• 0.8 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• baking paper
• oven
• blender
• hand mixer
• toothpicks
• aluminum foil
• ice cream scoop
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Watch how to make this recipe.
2. Special equipment: silver/foil-lined muffin cups, one 2-ounce ice cream scoop and one 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 regular muffin pans with muffin cups.
4. Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop and portion out the Chocolate Cake batter evenly into the muffin cups. Pop the pan in the oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning the pans halfway through. You'll know it's done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean.
5. Let the cupcakes completely cool in the pan on a rack.
6. Mix the cream, chocolate, honey and coffee in saucepan on low heat. Stir until smooth.
7. Let it cool a bit.
8. Put the egg yolks, evaporated milk, brown sugar and butter in a separate saucepan.
9. Place it over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until thick, 8 to 10 minutes or so.
10. Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, coconut and pecans. Allow to cool.
11. Dip the cooled cupcakes in the chocolate glaze.
12. Place on the rack and let the glaze harden. Scoop the topping on the cupcakes with a heaping 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop.
13. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together onto parchment paper. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 4 or 5 minutes.
14. Add your eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding each additional egg.
15. Mix in the chocolate and vanilla, making sure to combine really well. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, in 3 batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Make sure to let it mix thoroughly.