The Recipe
Print this recipeMarch is a time of renewal, growth and general happiness as we start to forget the dreary winter months. Easter is approaching, children have a week away from school and we can’t help but be drawn to feelings of nostalgia as we make our way through the month. It is for these very reasons that we chose to feature a pair of delicious cupcake recipes this month, including this chocolate cupcake recipe. What’s more fun, inviting and unique than tiny pieces of cake individually decorated just for you?
So this month we’re re-inventing a childhood favorite, the Cupcake, and presenting to you a no fail chocolate cupcake recipe that will have you wishing you hadn’t shared any. These cupcakes are easy to make and the raspberry filling and chocolate ganache topping make these irresistible. We’ve had to stop ourselves after eating a half a dozen in a sitting, they just seem to want to jump in your mouth. Be warned, these little parcels of joy are not healthy, but that only means they are super delish! We hope you love this chocolate cupcake recipe, and please let us know in the comments below.
Notes
- Feel free to take the cupcake recipe and make 2 larger cakes. Simply divide the batter equally between two 8″ x 8″ square pans and bake at 350F for about 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- When piping the ganache, ensure the ganache is completely cooled throughout. We placed it in the fridge for a few hours, after learning the hard way that rushing it in the fridge creates clumps of chocolate that won’t pass through the piping tip.
- Feel free to put in as much raspberry filling as the cupcake can handle. The more the better! You can even slather some on beneath the chocolate ganache before applying it.
The Formula
Ingredients
Batter
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups mayonnaise
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cups dutch cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1⅓ cups hot brewed coffee
Raspberry Filling
- 12 oz frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (heaping)
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, 70 %, very finely chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 oz. brandy
Directions
Cupcake Batter
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and beat with an electric mixer set at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the mayonnaise and vanilla just until combined. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in half of the flour mixture just until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the hot brewed coffee and beat at a very low speed just until the batter is smooth, 5 to 10 seconds longer. Beat in the remaining coffee. The batter will be somewhat thin.
- Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake cups, filing them about two-thirds full. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
Raspberry Filling
- Thaw raspberries and strain juice from berries. Add enough water to the juice to get 3/4 cup of liquid.
- In a small saucepan, combine raspberry juice/water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat, set aside.
- With a fine wire strainer, use a spoon to press the raspberries so that the seedless pulp falls into a bowl below. Strain enough pulp to get between 1/3 - 1/2 cup of pulp.
- To the cooled mixture in the saucepan, add 2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur and the raspberry pulp. Stir well and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream in a pot over medium heat for a few minutes, until it starts forming small bubble on the rim. Take off heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir chocolate & cream mixture until well blended. Add brandy and mix thoroughly. Let cool completely for an hour. Then fill pastry bag and decorate cupcakes as desired.
Final Assembly
- Fill a pastry bag with the raspberry filling and use a #4 tip. Insert the tip into the middle of the cupcake and squeeze a small amount of the raspberry filling into the cupcake. Once the cupcake begins to expand in volume, remove the tip. Repeat for each cupcake.
- To complete the chocolate ganache frosting, fill another pastry bag with the chocolate ganache using a #2D tip. Once you have ensured that all of the air in out of the pastry bag, and you are ready to frost the cupcakes, begin at the centre of the cupcake. Moving in a counter-clockwise direction, continue squeezing the pastry bag until the frosting reaches the edge of the cupcake. A rose will appear as the finish product.
Twitter
These cupcakes looks amazing!