Dark Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Dark chocolate cupcakes topped with ganache and vanilla buttercream– so rich and smooth because they are flour-less (lets hear it for my gluten-free friends!!)!!!  YUM!

Ingredients: (makes about 40 mini cupcakes)

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups of dark chocolate chips
• 1 stick (4 oz.) salted butter
• 2 T. cocoa powder
• 4 egg yolks
• 6 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 c. sugar

Ganache:

• 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

Frosting:

• 1 stick (4 oz.) salted butter (room temp)
• 1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter (room temp)
• 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 2 t. clear vanilla flavoring

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate with butter in 30 second increments, stirring between until smooth and creamy.
• Whisk cocoa powder into melted chocolate.
• Add egg YOLKS and whisk until smooth.  Set aside.
• Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk until foamy.
• Add sugar gradually to egg whites while beating on high until medium peaks form.
• Add 1/3 of egg whites to chocolate and mix well- until completely combined and smooth.
• Add remainder of egg whites and fold in gently until completely incorporated.
• Spoon batter into mini-cupcake liners in tins and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool completely. (Cupcakes will rise high in oven and as they cool they will sink and even become a little concave— perfect spot for our yummy ganache to sit!!)
• To make the ganache, heat chips and whipping cream in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth.
• Gently spoon or pipe ganache into the concave top of each cupcake until all ganache is used up.
• Allow ganache to cool and harden (place in fridge to speed this process up)
• Make frosting by combining remaining room temperature butters with powdered sugar and vanilla and beating on high until light and fluffy.
• Pipe frosting on tops of each cupcake, covering the ganache.
• Decorate as desired.

My thoughts: Usually, I use a cake mix for my cupcakes and focus on the fillings and frostings for that “wow” factor.  The wow factor in these is definitely the cupcakes themselves….wow.  I tried cupcakes made with a flour-less recipe this past weekend in Chicago at Molly’s cupcakes.  (AMAZING!)  I just had to try making them for myself and the reason I made them mini is because they are SO rich and heavy.  A full-size cupcake would be too much.  These cupcakes are definitely worth the extra effort!  The tiny hearts on top I just made on wax paper using Wilton’s candy melts. Click here for some photos of how to pipe designs in chocolate.  Enjoy!!!  -r