Triple Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe 455

Steps:

• CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM CUPCAKES: Sift flour, sugars, baking soda and salt through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside. Place chocolate, butter and cocoa into a large bowl. Pour boiling water over. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Whisk in vanilla, sour cream, buttermilk and eggs until well combined. Add dry ingredients, whisking until smooth. Spoon ¼ cup batter into regular-sized muffin tins prepared with cupcake liners (about 15). Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting. GANACHE: Place chocolate in a bowl. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. CHOCOLATE FROSTING: Place butter, cream and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Sift cocoa through a fine-mesh sieve set over the mixing bowl. Mix on medium-speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Sift confectioners sugar into mixing bowl through a fine-mesh sieve. Beat on low to combine; turn speed to medium and beat for 6 minutes until creamy and fluffy. Icing will be quite stiff. ASSEMBLY: Cut out a small cone in the centre of each cupcake. Discard scraps. Spoon ganache into each cupcake and spread a small amount over the top to smooth it out. Pipe on frosting in desired fashion (I used an Ateco 808 tip). Drizzle with remaining ganache, heating up if necessary. Garnish with chopped chocolate.

Steps:

• Tip the caster sugar into the jar, followed by the flour, then finally the cocoa, so the ingredients sit in layers. Seal the jar.
• Wrap the chocolate drops and bar up in cellophane. Tie the spatula or spoon onto the jar with ribbon and pack in a gift bag or box with the chocolates, sprinkles and cupcake cases.
• Hand-write a label with the following instructions and attach it to the gift: 'Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put 100g very soft butter in a bowl with 2 eggs, add the contents of the jar and beat well. Add a drop of milk to the mix if it is too stiff. Stir in the white chocolate drops. Divide between the cake cases. Bake for 15 mins. Cool. Melt the milk chocolate, spoon a little over each cake and then decorate with sprinkles.'