Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Heather Baird
I’m a lover of buttercream and the recipe provided allows for a generous amount atop 24 cupcakes. Halve the recipe if you prefer less frosting per cupcake.
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Milk or heavy creamoptional
Instructions
Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake papers and set aside.
Sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, water, heavy cream, oil and vanilla. Mix with a hand held mixer until smooth.
Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each half full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely before filling and frosting.
Make the ganache filling: Chop the chocolate finely and place it in a medium bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium-high heat until just boiling.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and gently whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Allow to cool until just warm and slightly thickened.
Fill the cupcakes: Cut a divot in the centers each cupcake using a serrated knife. Using a spoon, place about 2 teaspoons ganache (or more to your liking) in the centers of each cupcake.
Make the buttercream frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes until the mixture lightens.
Add vanilla bean and beat again for another minute. If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency. Beat until light and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, or spread the frosting on with an offset spatula.
Store cupcakes in an airtight container, or well covered with plastic wrap at room temperature.