Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

For the pastry cream, heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just simmering.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled.

To make the chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until just simmering.

Pour over the chocolate chips in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy.

Once the cupcakes are cool, use a small knife to cut a cone shape out of the center of each cupcake. Fill the hollow with the chilled pastry cream.

Top each filled cupcake with a generous drizzle of chocolate ganache.