Oh My Ganache!

Cupcakes:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard-sized muffin pan (the ones with the cups that have 1/2-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
4. Whisk eggs in another medium-sized bowl; add espresso powder, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream and buttermilk until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick. DO NOT overbeat the batter.
5. Divide batter evenly among the muffin pan cups. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out almost clean, about 15 to 18 minutes.
6. Cool cupcakes in the muffin pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 8 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from the muffin pan and set on a wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Note: I made 8 patisserie-sized cupcakes and used approximately 1/3 cup batter per cupcake. I baked them at 350 degrees for 19 minutes.

For 12 cupcakes, the directions are as written in the recipe.

Raspberry Filling:

Thaw raspberries and drain. You should have almost 3/4 cup liquid/juice. Put liquid in a small saucepan and combine with sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and is very thick. Let cool. Stir in the raspberries without the extra juice that drains further (you want the filling to be thick). Fill cupcakes by removing a small piece in the middle of the cupcake then filling the hole with about 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons of the raspberry filling. Trim the piece you cut out and place it back over the filling in the cupcake. You can also pipe the filling into the cupcake. However, this filling is pretty thick, so it is more difficult.

Chambord Ganache:

Bring the cream and butter just to a boil. Pour over the chocolate chips to melt them. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until glossy and smooth. Add Chambord. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to set before frosting the cupcakes.

Mascarpone Frosting:

Beat together the mascarpone cheese and sugar until smooth. Gently fold in whipped cream until combined. Place in a decorating bag and decorate the tops of cupcakes as desired.