A State of Pure Chocolate Bliss

Since I've started my whole baking adventure, I only have 2 cupcake recipes under my belt. I realized that I tend to make the same recipes over and over cause it's was I'm comfortable with. So I challenged myself to try something a little different and branch out. One of my favorite cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes is their chocolate ganache, so why not attempt a version of it at home! And not only am I gonna attempt something new, but the chocolate on chocolate combo really excited my taste buds -- I could already picture taking a bite into the moist cake coupled with the dark chocolate ganache frosting.

Cupcake ingredients -- yields 24 cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cane sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Using an ice cream scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely. While the cupcake is cooling, prepare the frosting.

Frosting ingredients
18 ounces good quality semi sweet chocolate; chopped
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 pint of raspberries

Place the chopped chocolate in a large heat safe bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat until it begins to boil. DO NOT walk away from the stove. The cream could boil over and you will be with a big mess to clean up. Immediately pour hot cream over chocolate and let it sit for five minutes. Begin stirring the cream with a whisk starting in the center of the bowl and working your way outward. As you stir, you will see the cream and chocolate come together.

Allow ganache to cool completely and set up before piping (about two hours). I decided to forgo the piping since my skills aren't that great. So instead, after about an hour, I dipped the top of the cupcakes into the ganache frosting and let the frosting set. Then place a raspberry on top to finish.