I can’t believe it has taken me an entire year to post these cupcakes. I made these last Christmas for a fancy tapas dinner party thrown by my sister-in-law, Linsey. The party was seriously magical! (I posted a picture below, taken by my friend Mara.) Guests were asked to bring small plate dishes, so I brought these cupcakes in mini version. Obviously these cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream, but if you’re not so into rich desserts, you might prefer to make them as mini cupcakes too.
Ingredients
Cupcakespackage (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix3 eggs1 cup club soda1 cup canola oil
Ganache4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Frosting2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature12 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract3 – 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients and beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes. Pour batter into cupcake tins and bake for 18-22 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat cream just to a boil; pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over top of cake, allowing ganache to drape down the sides. Top with chocolate garnishes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add chocolate until just combined. Add vanilla and 3 cups sugar; mix on medium until well combined, being careful not to overmix. Add more sugar according to desired texture and taste (we used only 3 cups).
Top with raspberry, if desired.
