Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache Filling Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and coffee granules and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the muffin pan.
• For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
• Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache. Do not refrigerate.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 24 regular-size cupcake liners.
• Combine the granulated sugar, flour, buttermilk, 8 fluid ounces water, oil, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder, salt and eggs in a mixer and whisk on speed 1 until all the ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix on speed 2 until the batter is lump free.
• Fill the cupcake liners half full with the chocolate batter and bake for 25 minutes, rotating halfway through the bake time. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• To assemble: Place the Chocolate, Orange and Clove Infused Ganache filling into a piping bag and squeeze a small amount of the filling into the centers of the cooled cupcakes. Also pipe a small circle of this ganache around the top edge of the cupcake (so you can see the filling even after it is frosted). Generously pipe the Chinese Spiced Tea Buttercream on top. Garnish with chocolate curls and orange sugar crystals.
• In a large pot, whisk together the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and fine salt. Once mixed together, add 10 ounces water and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue whisking for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and add the dark chocolate, butter, orange liqueur, orange oil, ground cloves and orange oil. Allow the mixture to cool.
• In a medium pot, combine the granulated sugar with enough water to make the mixture resemble wet sand. Place this pot over medium-high heat and cook to 235 degrees F.
• While the sugar cooks, begin whipping the egg whites in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to full volume.
• Once the temperature of the sugar reaches 235 degrees F (soft ball stage), pour the sugar into the egg whites. Continue whipping until the mixture cools to just above body temperature, about 4 minutes.
• Slowly add in 1 pound butter (about 4 ounce pieces at a time). After each addition, allow the butter to mix in almost completely before adding more. The mixture should separate and come back together.
• In a small saucepan, heat 8 ounces water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the loose tea (not the ground tea). Steep for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, strain into a separate bowl.
• Once the butter mixture has come back together, remove the whisk attachment and replace with a paddle. Add in the remaining 1 pound butter, confectioners' sugar, steeped tea and ground tea. Paddle this mixture until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• FOR GANACHE FILLING: 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.
• FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup 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 muffin pan 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 pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
• TO FROST: 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.