0.25 pound milk or semi-sweet chocolate (4 ounces) choppped small or in chips
0.33 cup heavy cream
2 large egg whites
0.66 cup granulated sugar
0.25 teaspoon cream of tartar
0.75 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces salt pinch or two
Equipment
Cupcake tin
Electric mixer
Heatproof bowl
Plastic or piping bag
Pastry tip (1/2-inch round opening)
Kitchen torch
Pot
Whisk
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in a 12-cup standard tin. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, graham crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients and mix until combined, followed by 1/2 of buttermilk, mixing again. Repeat with 1/3 dry ingredients, last half of buttermilk and remaining dry ingredients.
Divide batter between prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cakes comes out batter-free. Let cool completely before continuing. Once cupcakes are fully cool, use a paring knife, grapefruit knife or melon baller to remove a small amount of cake from the center of each cupcake, making room for the chocolate filling.
Place chocolate and salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream until simmering then pour it over chocolate, let stand for one minute then stir until smooth. Cool this mixture quickly in the freezer, but you absolutely must check in every 5 minutes (set a timer) to stir the mixture to ensure it doesn’t harden in some spots while staying warm in the center. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes total. Once cool, it will be thicker but still on the loose side. Transfer this to a plastic bag with the corner snipped off or a cup with a pouring spout. Pour a small amount into each cupcake belly.
Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl and place this over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and whites are lukewarm to touch, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from simmering water and use an electric mixer to beat with a whisk attachment on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
You can frost your cupcakes with a knife, or drop a dollop of frosting on top messily with a large spoon, or you can use a plastic or piping bag with a larger corner snipped off to make a swirl of frosting on top. Use a kitchen torch to lightly toast the frosting.