This recipe starts with double chocolate cupcakes. Fill the center of each cupcake with chocolate ganache made with Scharffen Berger chocolate baking portions. Top with brown sugar buttercream with a hint of gingerbread spice and an extra drizzle of ganache.
Recipe
CUPCAKES
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons Scharffen Berger cocoa powder
- 1/ 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/ 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/ 8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/ 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/ 2 cup brewed coffee
- 4 1/ 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1/ 4 cup & 2 tablespoons buttermilk (or milk + a teaspoon vinegar)
- 1/ 2 cup Scharffen Berger semisweet dark chocolate chunks
GANACHE
- 5 Scharffen Berger 1 oz baking portion bars
- 1/ 2 cup heavy cream, hot
BUTTERCREAM
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/ 4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/ 4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/ 8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/ 2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/ 4 cup heavy cream or milk
METHOD
- STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- STEP 2
Line a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- STEP 3
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.
- STEP 4
In a medium bowl whisk together egg, yogurt or sour cream, vanilla, coffee, oil, and buttermilk.
- STEP 5
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined.
- STEP 6
Distribute batter between cupcake liners. Sprinkle a few chocolate chunks into each cavity. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- STEP 7
To make the ganache, break up the chocolate bars and add to a medium bowl.
- STEP 8
Pour over the hot cream and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag.
- STEP 9
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the butter, vanilla, brown sugar, spices, and salt until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, drizzling in the cream as needed to help create a smooth buttercream.
- STEP 10
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice.
- STEP 11
Once the cupcakes are out of the oven and cooled, use the back of a piping tip or an apple corer to remove the center of the cupcake.
- STEP 12
Pipe the chocolate ganache into the center to fill each cupcake.
- STEP 13
Pipe a swirl of buttercream on top of each filled cupcake. Drizzle on the extra chocolate ganache for decoration. Enjoy!