Chocolate Cupcakes Filled with Halvah Buttercream

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 12 muffin tins with muffin liners. Set aside.

In a heatproof bowl, place cocoa powder and boiling water together, whisking until a smooth paste forms.

Whisk the buttermilk into the cocoa mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is somewhat light and fluffy.

Crack the egg into a liquid measuring cup and add the vanilla. Add this mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. Blend well.

On low speed, add ½ of the flour mixture and blend well. Add all of the cocoa mixture and again blend well.

On low speed, add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix only until the ingredients are well combined.

Carefully fill the muffin tins a little over ½ full using an ice cream scoop and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cupcakes pull away from the sides of the muffin tins and a small sharp knife inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool.

Place all of the cupcakes on 2 wax paper lined sheet pans, with 6 cupcakes on each.

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and tahini until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy.

Add the vanilla. Blend well.

On low speed, slowly add 3 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and mix until well blended.

Add an additional cup of sugar if the mixture is not stiff enough to pipe.

Remove the bowl off the motor and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the 1 cup of halvah until well blended.

If the buttercream is not stiff enough, refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Place chocolate chips and oil in a heatproof bowl.

Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water, off the heat, until the chocolate melts completely, stirring often.

Remove bowl from over the saucepan. Allow glaze to cool to room temperature.

Using a large, plain pastry tip, use the wider opening and gently insert it into the center of each cupcake. Without going all the way to the bottom of the cupcake, twist the tip and pull out, removing a portion of the center of the cake. Save removed cupcake cores for snacking. If needed, use a small sharp knife to neaten the hole.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, fill the bag with halvah buttercream.

Push the top of the pastry tip into the hole you previously made in the top of each cupcake and squeeze some filling into the inside. Fill until the buttercream is level with the top of the cupcake.

Using the same pastry bag, pipe a swirl of buttercream on top of each cupcake.

Place cupcakes in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up the buttercream.

Pour the room temperature chocolate glaze into a tall wide container such as a large liquid measuring cup or deep small bowl.

Hold a cupcake upside down by the paper liner and dip the swirled buttercream topped cupcake into the chocolate glaze until the buttercream is covered.

Allow the excess glaze to drip off.

Set the cupcake right side up onto the lined sheet pan.

Scatter some crumbled halvah over the glaze before it sets.

Repeat dipping each cupcake and scattering the tops with halvah.

Chill cupcakes on sheet pan until ready to serve.