Today my mom and other employees at her dental office were celebrating their birthdays. They asked me to make cupcakes for the party and I was so glad to. Although picking the cupcake to make was the hardest part! I finally settled on these rich, decadent chocolate cupcakes. They are a doctored up cake mix which makes them ultra moist, a fluffy cream cheese frosting, a ganach filling and chocolate curls to top! They were a hit and are not guarenteed to last long
Ingredients:
For the cake:1 (18.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon of vanilla
For the ganache:
3 tablespoons corn syrup
5 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line (2) 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla and water.
4. Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans. {I use a large cookie scoop from OXO to scoop my batter; it holds 3 tablespoons}.
5. Batter should be about 2 thirds full.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool cupcakes thoroughly on wire rack.
For the ganache
In a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Allow to cool at room temperature for a 1/2 hour before filling cupcakes
For the frosting
1. In a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and butter until well combined.
2. With the mixer of low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until thoroughly incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla and mix on medium high for 5 minutes for a fluffy texture.
