These rich, tender chocolate cupcakes have a deep cocoa flavor and a soft, moist crumb. The simple batter comes together easily with a mixer, and piping it into the cupcake liners makes it easy to portion the cupcakes evenly. They are delicious plain or can be finished with your favorite frosting.

   Grandma’s yeast fritters (дрожжевые оладьи) come from traditional Russian home cooking and are common throughout Eastern Europe. They were especially popular in village households, where yeast doughs were everyday food and ingredients like flour, milk (or water), and oil were always on hand. These fritters were often made on weekends or for holidays, served warm with sour cream, honey, jam, or sugar.