• Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners.

Make The Chocolate Cupcakes

• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
  
• In a separate larger mixing bowl, add the oil and sugar and whisk together until combined and fluffy.
  1/4 cup canola oil, 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until the eggs are incorporated.
  2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Add the dry ingredients into the larger bowl of wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. The batter will be thick and almost seem a little dry, that's ok.
  
• Add the hot water into the cupcake batter and mix until well combined.

  ^{*If using the optional espresso powder, add 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder into the hot water and mix it well before adding the hot water into the batter.}
  3/4 cup hot water
• Fill each cupcake liner halfway full of batter. It's about 2 tablespoons per cupcake liner.

  Bake the cupcakes in two batches for 12-15 minutes each, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  Allow the cupcakes to cool inside the muffin pan until they're cooled to room temperature. Remove them to a cooling rack.
  

Make The Chocolate Buttercream

• In a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth and creamy.
  12 tablespoons salted butter, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
  
• Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the buttercream is smooth and stiff.

  Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a small star tip.

  ^{*I always end up using the full 3 cups called for in the recipe. You want the buttercream firm and stiff so that it holds its shape on the cupcake but you don't want it so stiff that it's difficult to pipe or spread on the cupcake.}
  2-3 cups powdered sugar
  
• Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe the frosting in a single circular layer over the top of each cupcake. Place 3 mini eggs onto the center and sprinkle chocolate shavings and/or pastel Easter sprinkles over top.

  ^{* For chocolate shavings use a vegetable peeler and peel along the side of a chocolate candy bar (like Hershey's milk chocolate) and let the shaves fall on the cupcake.}