1-Preheat your oven: preheat your oven to 350°F and line your cupcake pan with liners. This step sets the stage for even baking and prevents sticking.

2-Sift together the dry ingredients: sift together the dry ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Sifting helps distribute everything evenly, which is a trick I swear by for avoiding lumps.

3-Mix the wet ingredients: in another bowl, mix the wet ingredients: oil, brewed coffee, vinegar, vanilla extract, and sugar.

4-Combine wet and dry mixes: pour the dry mix into the wet one and whisk briefly until just combined overmixing can make your cupcakes tough, so keep it light.

5-Bake the cupcakes: distribute the batter into your pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely before moving on.

6-Making Homemade Dulce de Leche: place the unopened can of condensed milk in a pressure cooker with water covering it plus 2 inches. Boil under pressure for 35 minutes, then let it cool naturally. This gives you that perfect caramel color and thickness. Once cooled, refrigerate it until firm it’s worth the wait for that authentic flavor.

7-Prepare the buttercream: start by letting your butter reach room temperature. Melt the chocolate in short intervals and cool it down. Heat egg whites and sugar over simmering water until it hits 140°F, then whip it up to stiff peaks. Add the butter piece by piece, followed by dulce de leche, cooled chocolate, and espresso powder. Mix until smooth and if it gets too runny, chill and whip again.

8-Assembly and Finishing Touches: cool the cupcakes fully, remove the center with a spoon, and fill it with about 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche. Pop the cake piece back on top and pipe on that luscious buttercream. I like to add decorations for a fun finish. The whole process usually takes about 1 hour total, including prep and cook time, making it perfect for a quick treat.