I wanted to make some cupcakes to take to a friends party last Saturday night and after a quick search (in that little box up on the top on the right hand side of the page)  I discovered that I have hardly posted any cupcake recipes here on CakesBakesAndCookies.com in the last three years! How strange is that? I mean I’ve made loads but they just never made it onto the blog.

I’ve always said that I’m not much of a cupcake sort of person. When I worked at Woman & Home and we got cupcakes sent in from PR’s I used to give the buttercream topping part to my deputy and she used to give me her cake (well kind of anyway) but what I mean is that I don’t like to gorge on a load of buttercream. So, when I make cupcakes that I am going to be eating and not giving away I tend to make the ones above with my new best ganache recipe. They’re more of a chocolate cup than a trad cupcake.

The cake part of the recipe is one I’ve been using for years but the ganache is from a blogger I met at Blogcamp a few weeks ago. I was looking for a gluten free cake recipe for a cake I am making in a few weeks time and the Free from Fairy told me about her great chocolate cake recipe but it was the ganache that is THE BEST I have ever tasted. It stays soft and firm all at the same time! (Thanks Vicki)

These cupcakes were – as Tim puts it – “a bit extra”. I am a bit extra but I have decided that I actually quite like being a bit extra and so when most people would probably just take a bottle of wine or two to a party we take a bottle of wine, a bottle of Shloer (so I look like I’m drinking wine!) and a dozen cupcakes. And whether they were extra or not they all disappeared pretty quickly!

Chocolate cupcake recipe

(Makes 12-18)

The cakes

• 100g dark chocolate
• 175g butter at room temperature
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 175g self raising flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk

The chocolate ganache recipe

• 100g chocolate
• 50g butter
• 100g sieved icing sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• Cherries to decorate

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC (160º Fan oven) and fill a cupcake tray with paper cases.
2. To make the cakes start by melting the chocolate in a saucepan with the butter over a low heat. Stir continuously. Set aside to cool a little.
3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and add the sugar and vanilla essence then whisk again to incorporate as much air into the mix as possible – this keeps the cakes light and fluffy. Add in the melted chocolate and butter and blend thoroughly.
4. Add all the dry ingredients and fold in. Add the milk and combine.
5. Fill the cupcake cases till they are half full. I like the ganache to sit on top of the whole cake so I make quite shallow cakes. If you want a deeper, bigger cake fill up the cases so they are ¾ full.
6. Bake in the centre of your oven for 15 minutes or until the cake bounces back straight away when you press a finger lightly onto it. Avoid over baking as that’s what makes them dry.
7. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

To make the ganache

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan. Again stir continuously and don’t let it burn.
2. Pour the mixture onto the sieved icing sugar and whisk with a hand held whisk. Always start off slowly unless you want your kitchen to resemble a snowstorm!
3. Add the milk to give a really smooth finish. If you want a softer ganache add a little more milk.
4. Place in a piping bag and pipe over the cooled cupcakes. The mixture can be quite runny and will settle once left for a minute or two.
5. Place a cherry on the top of each cake to finish and enjoy!

EmmaMT

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More chocolatey yumminess for you right here

• How To Make The Very Best Vegan Chocolate Cake You’ll Ever Bake – According To Mr MT
• Chocolate cupcakes recipe with cherry goodness
• Dairy Free chocolate chip cookie recipe
• Rhubarb & white chocolate cake recipe