1: Bake Those Cupcakes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake pan with liners. (Pro tip: Cupcake liners are like convenience store snacks for the baking world—delicious and versatile!)
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside like a secret ingredient waiting to be discovered!
3. In another bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy—around 3-5 minutes. You want this mixture to feel like clouds in cupcake form!
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract.
5. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk until everything is combined. It should be smooth and creamy—like your favorite face cream.
6. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, your cupcakes are ready to shine! Let them cool completely.

 2: Make the Pastry Cream

1. In a saucepan, combine the milk and half of the sugar over medium heat. Stir occasionally until it’s nearly boiling.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, remaining sugar, and salt until smooth.
3. Once the milk mixture is hot, slowly whisk a little of it into the egg yolk mixture to temper it. Then, whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Let it cool!

 3: Prepare the Ganache

1. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until just below boiling. Pour it over the chocolate chips in a bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Stir until smooth and glossy. Chocolate lovers, rejoice!

 4: Assemble the Cupcakes

1. Once your cupcakes are cool, use a small knife or corer to create a little pocket in the center of each one. You want room for all that dreamy pastry cream!
2. Fill each pocket with your pastry cream—don’t be shy, treat those cupcakes generously.
3. Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the top of each cupcake. Consider it a rich frosting that could dream of being a superhero in a bakery lineup.