Friday, March 13, 2009

Food Photo Friday--Black Bottom Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache




These are dangerous. Dangerously delicious. I've known this ever since I made them the first time, about 13 years ago. Thus, I limit myself to making them no more than twice a year. There is something about the unexpected texture of the chocolate chips in the cream cheese center that makes them irresistible to me. Make them if you dare.


Black Bottom Cupcakes

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese-softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Beat well and add 1 16 oz. pkg. chocolate chips.  Set aside.

4 3/4 cups flour plus 2 Tbsp.
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup packed cocoa
3 tsp. soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups water 
1 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. vinegar
3 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix ingredients and beat well.  Line your muffin pans with paper liners.  I finally just bought a cheap, silver, muffin pan.  The nice, non-stick one I have never works right.  Either my edges burn or my middles don't get done all the way, even if I turn down my oven.  Using a medium sized cookie scoop, put a level scoop of batter in each liner.  Then, using a small, (melon ball size) cookie scoop, put a slightly overflowing scoop of the cream cheese mixture.  Then, another level scoop of cake batter over the top.  The cupcake should be a little more that 2/3rds of the way full.  If you stick with these amounts, your filling and batter should work out pretty evenly, giving you about 4 dozen cupcakes.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.  The tops should not feel mushy, but not totally dry, either.  I keep mine in the fridge because of the cream cheese, but take them out to take the chill off before we eat them.  


Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream
10 oz. semi sweet chocolate (I usually just use Hershey's chips or something like that, just make sure it's chopped small)

Heat cream on stove until almost boiling.  Put chocolate in a bowl.  Pour cream over chocolate and let sit until chocolate is melted.  Cool. (not in fridge--just let it sit until lukewarm)
Using a mixer, beat on medium for a few minutes until it's a spreadable consistency.  Watch it closely, it can go from perfect to broken in just a minute.  

Spread on cupcakes.  Honestly, the cupcakes are great alone.  They are wonderful with a thin layer of ganache.  Using as much as I did in the photos will likely kill you.  Unless you are a chocolate pro.  Then you might be able to handle it.  Good luck.


4 comments:

i'm erin. said...

ummm, is that an invitation for me to come lay across your sofa, sqeeze your fat cat and pop black bottomless cupcakes with chocolate ganache in my mouth?

just checking.

Carterista said...

Oooh, Tammy! They look great and easy to make minus the ganache. Though I don't consider myself a cake/cupcake fan, I'm intrigued by the filling!!!

Kristine said...

Wow... Those look so good! You make me wish my job was cooking cool things.

kellieanne said...

Minus the ganache Cecilia! That's the draw for me! These are tasty and I totally recommend investing some time in their creation.

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