How to Make the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling | Let's Make Dessert


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42 replies
  1. Jean
    Jean says:

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    BEFORE YOU BEGIN

    Use a high quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for this recipe, such as one of the test kitchen's favorite baking chocolates, Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV or Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar. Though we highly recommend the ganache filling, you can omit it for a more traditional cupcake. The cupcakes can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored unfrosted in an airtight container.

    GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS

    Ganache Filling

    2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)

    Ā¼ cup heavy cream

    1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

    Chocolate Cupcakes

    3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)

    ā…“ cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa

    Ā¾ cup hot coffee

    Ā¾ cup (4 1/8 ounces) bread flour

    Ā¾ cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar

    Ā½ teaspoon table salt

    Ā½ teaspoon baking soda

    6 tablespoons vegetable oil

    2 large eggs

    2 teaspoons white vinegar

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1 recipe Creamy Chocolate Frosting for Creamy Chocolate Frosting

    1

    INSTRUCTIONS

    FOR GANACHE FILLING: Place chocolate, cream, and confectionersā€™ sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.

    2

    FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have Ā½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

    3

    Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

    4

    Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.

    5

    TO FROST: Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.

    Reply
  2. set921
    set921 says:

    OK, I feel like this video is not up to the regular ATK quality. Using a rubber spatula with a measuring spoon looked awkward for the ganache, pouring from the wide Pyrex measuring cup, lopsided glass measuring cup for the double boiler, and twice as long as it needed to be. šŸ˜³

    Reply
  3. set921
    set921 says:

    Wait, did you do your coffee by weight? And where is your face? These anonymous videos are not my ATK. And you're baking; don't be silly about the word "moist".

    Reply
  4. Daniel Pentecost
    Daniel Pentecost says:

    A good video and I appreciate ATK trying new formats. Personally not a huge fan of this format. Feels off brand for ATK, Cooks Country, or Cooks Illustrated. Are you guys starting a new brand / format? If so, this is a good first start. Not for me but there is probably a market for it.

    Reply
  5. Jeff W
    Jeff W says:

    You can see the ā€œATK versionā€ of this cupcake recipe in a video at the recipe page in the description. (That video is exactly half the length of this one.)

    Reply
  6. Sally Richardson
    Sally Richardson says:

    I enjoyed this format. Itā€™s easy to follow along. I have made these cupcakes from the printed recipe, but seeing it done by a chef is very helpful. I think they were worth the time and effort. I took them to a gathering and they were a really big hit. I love chocolate and I love baking with it. I learn something from every ATK show or video.

    Reply
  7. Dan Bev
    Dan Bev says:

    I feel like cupcakes are SO much more work/fussier than a regular cake. The ganache could be spread between 2 layers & a simpler frosting spread over the whole cake.

    Reply
  8. Spud J. Russell
    Spud J. Russell says:

    This format may be popular with the myriad of cooking channels out there, but ATK's content is consistently leaps and bounds better than most and shouldn't try to fit that mold.
    We trust your test cooks, so why hide them?
    We don't need soft-spoken voice-overs and gentle music. We need confident, well – spoken experts we have grown to trust.

    Lose this format or ya lost me.

    Reply
  9. Eric Robbins
    Eric Robbins says:

    Great video but wish the commentator was more fun. Very serious monotone voice and every step had to be perfect, cleaning every drop here and there, makes me feel inadequate with how messy everything is when I bake, lol.

    Reply
  10. Jack Potter
    Jack Potter says:

    Fingers on a blackboard! When will these "professionals " stop scraping knife blades against the cutting board. ATK does that to dull knives for testing. This is why baker's scrapers are a must for serious kitchens
    Good recipe!

    Reply
  11. Alexis Dix
    Alexis Dix says:

    Amazing! When I start getting bread flour this will definitely be one of the first recipes I'll try. Can I use heirloom bread flour like Turkey Red or Red Fife flour for this recipe?

    Reply
  12. anonbutanon
    anonbutanon says:

    After making that lovely coffee/chocolate mixture, I'd be cracking my eggs into their own bowl first. A habit I picked up after an incident a few years ago. I've only had a bad egg that ONE time, but, man, I just know it would happen to me again right there! šŸ˜€

    Reply
  13. Steven Do
    Steven Do says:

    Iā€™m so excited to make these, thank you for sharing this recipe and I love this new presentation!

    For everyone complaining about not seeing inside the cupcake ā€¦ they cut into the cupcake in the first 20 seconds of the video.

    Reply
  14. SAMMY Mug
    SAMMY Mug says:

    I hope they are not cost cuttingā€¦ATK videos are known for human interaction. I hope this tik tok style voiceover video will not be the new normal.

    Reply

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