Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 6, 2013
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes chilling and 1 hour 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Ganache Filling
2 ounces (57 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine ¼ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugarChocolate Cupcakes
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine ⅓ cup (1 ounces/28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa ¾ cup hot coffee ¾ cup (4⅛ ounces/117 grams) bread flour ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar ½ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon baking soda 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extractCreamy Chocolate Frosting
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar 2 large egg whites pinch table salt 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces and softened6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled½ teaspoon vanilla extractBefore You Begin
Use a high quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for this recipe, such as one of the test kitchen's favorite baking chocolates, Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV or Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar. Cool the chocolate to between 85 and 100 degrees before adding it to the frosting. If the frosting seems too soft after adding the chocolate, chill it briefly in the refrigerator and then rewhip it until creamy. The frosting can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to frost, place frosting in a microwave-safe container and warm briefly on high power until just slightly softened, 5 to 10 seconds. Once warmed, stir until creamy. Though we highly recommend the ganache filling, you can omit it for a more traditional cupcake. The cupcakes can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored unfrosted in an airtight container.
Instructions
- Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin tin on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin tin and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registering 150 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.) Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate and vanilla; mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping beater and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary.
- Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.
for the ganache filling
for the cupcakes
for the creamy chocolate frosting
to frost
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes chilling and 1 hour 20 minutes coolingYield
Makes 12 cupcakesIngredients
Ganache Filling
Chocolate Cupcakes
Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Ganache Filling
Chocolate Cupcakes
Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Ganache Filling
Chocolate Cupcakes
Creamy Chocolate Frosting
Why This Recipe Works
For a chocolate cupcake recipe with a moist crumb and just enough creamy frosting, we tweaked a chocolate cake recipe until it was perfectly portable, then worked in more chocolate without disrupting the cupcakes’ structure. We mixed cocoa with hot coffee to eke out more chocolate flavor, then replaced the recipe’s butter with more neutral-flavored vegetable oil. Substituting bread flour for all-purpose flour made our cupcake sturdy, but not tough, and it allowed us to add more chocolate—including a bit of ganache in the center—before the chocolate cupcakes baked.
Before You Begin
Use a high quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for this recipe, such as one of the test kitchen's favorite baking chocolates, Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV or Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar. Cool the chocolate to between 85 and 100 degrees before adding it to the frosting. If the frosting seems too soft after adding the chocolate, chill it briefly in the refrigerator and then rewhip it until creamy. The frosting can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to frost, place frosting in a microwave-safe container and warm briefly on high power until just slightly softened, 5 to 10 seconds. Once warmed, stir until creamy. Though we highly recommend the ganache filling, you can omit it for a more traditional cupcake. The cupcakes can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored unfrosted in an airtight container.
Instructions
- Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin tin on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin tin and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registering 150 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.) Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate and vanilla; mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping beater and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary.
- Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.
for the ganache filling
for the cupcakes
for the creamy chocolate frosting
to frost
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