Begin by preheating oven to 350°F / 175°C. Place 12 cupcake liners in cupcake pan.

Add ¾ cup buttermilk, ⅓ cup chocolate chips, and 1 tsp instant espresso powder into a heat proof bowl. Heat in the microwave at power level 8 for 1 minute or over a double boiler until the chocolate has melted. Don't worry if the buttermilk separates a little after it's heated!

Whisk together until the ingredients are combined and all the chocolate is melted. The mixture might look a little separated, but it will come together once you add in the dry ingredients.

Sift ¾ cup all purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup cocoa powder, ½ tsp baking soda and ½ tsp salt into chocolate espresso mixture and stir until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a spatula.

Add 2 large eggs, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vinegar, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until the batter is smooth.

Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ full and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the German chocolate cake (or in this case cupcake) filling.

In a medium saucepan combine ½ cup evaporated milk, 2 egg yolks, ⅔ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup butter and ½ tsp salt.

Cook the mixture over a medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens (you don't want to the egg yolks to scramble!). This usually takes me 7-10 minutes. Test the mixture by dragging a rubber spatula through the center of the pan. If it's ready, you should be able to see the bottom of the pan for a few seconds before the filling covers it.

Remove the filling from heat and pour into a large bowl.

Fold in 1 cup of shredded coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans, and 1 tsp vanilla extract with a rubber spatula. Mix until the coconut and pecans are fully coated in the mixture. Set aside to let the filling cool to room temperature.

While the cupcakes cool, make the chocolate buttercream. Beat ¼ cup of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a hand mixer until smooth.

Mix in ½ tsp vanilla extract and ¼ tsp salt on a low speed.

Slowly mix in ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup dark cocoa powder, and 3 Tbsp heavy cream on a low speed. Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.

Mix in ¼ cup of cooled, melted dark chocolate.

Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.

If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another ¼ cup of powdered sugar.

Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Place into a large piping bag fit with a Wilton 1M frosting tip.

To decorate these German chocolate cupcakes, use a cookie scoop to add a generous dollop of cooled coconut pecan filling on top of each cupcake. If you don't have a cookie scoop, use a large spoon to add about 1 Tbsp of filling on top of each cupcake.

Smooth out the coconut mixture with an offset spatula to create a flat, even layer.

Pipe a rosette on top with the chocolate buttercream using a Wilton 1M piping tip, then enjoy!