Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Ganache Cupcake Recipe

After winning The Washington Post's Cupcake Wars contest, Georgetown Cupcake provided the paper with a recipe for their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes! I've reposted it here for you baking pleasure, but you can also check it out on the Washington Post's website by clicking here.

You can find Valrhona Cocoa Powder and Callebaut chocolate, which are used in the recipe, at local Sur La Table stores. Of course you can use other forms of cocoa powder and chocolate, but keep in mind this will certainly alter the taste. Each cupcake has 196 Calories and 9g of Fat.

The Georgetown Cupcake ladies remind us that "the cupcakes are best when served on the same day they are made. If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over."


Photo by James M. Thresher for The Washington Post

Makes 18 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS:
For the cupcakes
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Plugra brand, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted (see headnote; may substitute another good-quality cocoa powder)

For the ganache frosting
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips (6.4 ounces; see headnote; may substitute other good-quality semisweet chocolate chips)

DIRECTIONS:
For the cupcakes:
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups.
-Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
-Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
-Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.
-Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.
-Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated.
-Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full.
-Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache frosting:
-Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface.
-Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
-Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth.
-Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. -Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving.

UPDATE: I was in Tysons Galleria this afternoon doing a little shopping and stopped into Sur La Table - they're all out of Valrhona Cocoa Powder and Callebaut chocolate (because of the Washington Post naming them as a source for it for this recipe, so they say!) and won't be getting any in for a couple weeks. So you'll want to call ahead before making a trip!