Phenomenal Phoods

Chocolate Filled Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

For the milk chocolate ganache

For the cream cheese frosting

Instructions:

  1. Make the ganache. Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Heat it until it is just starting to steam on top, but DO NOT let it come to a boil. Remove it from the heat as soon as you see the steam starting.*
  3. Pour the steamed cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir it all together with a spoon or small spatula until creamy and smooth.
  4. The ganache will take 2-3 hours to cool and thicken at room temperature. You can put it in the fridge to speed things along, but make sure to give it a stir every 20 minutes to prevent it from thickening unevenly. You want it to be completely cooled and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but it does not need to be piping consistency.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a muffin tin with cupcake papers.
  6. Make the cupcakes. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
  7. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and airy. There should be little bubbles, and the mixture will lighten in color. This will take a minute or two.
  8. Whisk in the oil, vanilla and sour cream until no lumps remain.
  9. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until combined. You do not want to knock all of the air out so be gentle.
  10. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way with batter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Let the cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting.
  11. Make the cream cheese frosting. Combine all ingredients and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy. I like to just swirl it onto the cupcake so it does not need to be a super thick consistency.
  12. Fill the cupcakes. Use a small knife or spoon to scoop out the center of each cooled cupcake. Save the cake that you scooped out. Fill cupcakes with a big spoonful of the cooled ganache.
  13. Frost the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a spoonful of frosting and use a small spatula or spoon to swirl it around. The soft ganache will probably get mixed into the swirl, but that makes it even better! Tip with a drizzle of leftover ganache, and crumble the extra cake that you scooped out of the cupcakes on top.