Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Icing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl using an electric mixer stir butter together with sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add in the flour mixture, alternating with milk until all is combined and blended. Stir in semi sweet chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the lined cupcake liners to 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache
In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring heavy cream to a boil. As it begins to boil, turn off heat and remove from burner and add in the semi sweet chocolate chips. Give it a quick stir to coat chocolate in cream and then let the mixture sit for 3 minutes. Stir mixture until chocolate is melted and blended. Let cool, stirring occasionally.

Whipped Ganache Filling Directions
Using an electric or stand mixer on medium high speed blend 1 ½ cups of the cooled ganache for 5 minutes until soft peaks form. Using a spatula place it into a pastry bag and pipe into the centers of the cooled cupcakes. If extra whipped ganache is left, spread a light coating of whipped ganache on top of cupcakes. Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until set.

For topping
Place remaining cooled ganache in a shallow bowl. Dip tops of cupcakes into ganache and spin tops to coat entire top. Gently turn over and place on a tray or wire rack. Continue to coat remaining cupcakes. If desired, sprinkle chocolate shavings on top.

Place in refrigerator until ganache has set.

Notes-
If you don’t want to make Whipped Ganache Filling, you can reduce the amounts of ganache ingredients to 1 cup heavy cream and 8 ounces (1 cup) semi sweet chocolate chips. Then proceed with the ganache instructions above, skipping the filling step.

Use high quality semi sweet chocolate chips which lists the first ingredients as semi sweet chocolate (like Nestle).