Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 cups of a jumbo muffin tin or 4 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine the bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour the coffee over the chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until melted and smooth.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, and sugars. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, buttermilk and extract.
Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined. Pour over the flour mixture and stir to combine.
Fill the prepared tin about ¾ full. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Peppermint Pattie Buttercream
Combine the cream and extract in a small bowl.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter on medium speed with an electric hand mixer. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.
Add the cream and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Assembly
Spread the buttercream over the cooled cupcakes and decorate with the patties and sprinkles.
Notes
*If using a bittersweet bar, finely chop the bar **I used what was left from my coffee maker. Alternatively, you can mix 1 teaspoon of espresso powder or instant coffee to ½ cup of hot water and use only what’s called for in the recipe. ***Light or dark. Use whatever you have on hand ****If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, add ½ teaspoon of white vinegar to ¼ cup milk and let it sit for 10 minutes. Use only what’s called for in the recipe.