Preparation time: 20 minutes, including icing
Baking time: About 25 minutes
 

For the icing you can use dark chocolate or milk chocolate, depending on your preference.

You can also use milk chocolate and flavor it with instant coffee dissolved in a little hot water so that is very concentrated.

You can decorate the cupcakes according to your whim, with dark chocolate shavings, chocolate sprinkles, etc.

Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
2. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a glass bowl; melt over a pan of hot water or in the microwave with 2 tbsp. milk - if you melt it dry in the microwave, the chocolate may turn granular if you overheat it. This is a little precaution if you're doing it for the first time!
3. Remove the chocolate from the heat; stir until smooth.
4. Break eggs into another bowl and beat lightly with a fork.
5. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and light. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
6. Add the melted chocolate and combine well.
7. Add the flour and baking powder gradually, alternating with the milk, stirring constantly.
8. Pour the batter into muffin cups, filling the liners three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a knife tip inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before icing.

Icing

1. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt as for the cupcakes (steps 2 and 3).
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and pale.
3. Add the melted chocolate and mix well. Refrigerate until the mixture has the consistency of buttercream and is firm enough to work with, without running.
4. When the cupcakes are completely cool, place the icing into a piping bag with the desired tip. A star tip gives very nice results.
5. Press gently and evenly on the bag to pipe out the icing. Begin by tracing the perimeter of each cupcake, and continue in a spiral towards the center. Refrigerate until serving time.