"Easiest Chocolate Cupcakes"

I LOVE Chocolate and I absolutely adore Chocolate Cupcakes. What is better way to share your baking expertise other than making delicious chocolatey cupcakes with gorgeous chocolate ganache frosting.

Here's a utterly delicious Chocolate Cupcakes recipe with Chocolate Ganache frosting. Use good unsweetened cocoa powder for this. Good chocolate makes a lot of difference when making chocolate cupcakes and cakes.

I use cake flour for this recipe but you can use either a combination of cake flour & all-purpose flour. Most stores carry cake flours but if you are unable to find it, make it instead--mix 3/4 cup all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Chocolate Cupcakes.

Ingredients.

Makes 20 Cupcakes.

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot, strong brewed coffee

1 and 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (110 g) cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 brown sugar

1 cup plus 1 tbsp butter, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence.

Preparation.

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius/350 degree Fahrenheit.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and coffee until combined and smooth. Set aside until mixtures returns to room temperature.

3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the sugars together to ensure there is no lumps.

4. Use a mixer and cream together the butter and sugars until light and airy for about 7 minutes until well combined.

5. Keep the mixer running and pour in the eggs and yolks one at a time until well-combined. Then mix in the vanilla essence.

6. Then pour in the combined dry ingredients and cocoa & coffee mixture. Beat until well combined. Do not over beat.

7. Spoon cupcakes into 20 cupcake liners. Fill until two-thirds full and arrange onto a pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

8. To ensure even baking, rotate the pan halfway through.

9. Remove pan, place on a rack to cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.

Chocolate Ganache.

Ingredients

Servings: approximately 24 to 48 cupcakes

680 g bittersweet chocolate

4 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla essence.

Preparation.

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan/ pot of simmering water.

2. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer, then immediately remove and combine with the chocolate.

3. Add the essence. Then place the mixture in a ice bath and whisk it until the mixture is thick enough to use as frosting.

4. You can either use immediately or store in the fridge overnight.