Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with a Caramel & Chocolate GanachePrint Recipe

Today we are celebrating! we have finally signed a lease for an apartment in New York. And I am pretty certain this one will not fall over like the last one (a long and horrible story that I still get angry and upset about). So this calls for champagne and cake. Mr Man is in charge of the champagne – which will probably turn out to be red wine because he is not overly fond of champagne, and I am in charge of the cake – or cakes you can see.

Firstly, let me tell you about our apartment. It is not old and has no fireplace – two of my original prerequisites, BUT it has a large (large for New York standards) and completely renovated kitchen and a dining area. It is light and bright and my daughters are very excited because they are getting their pink bedroom. It is also around the corner (about 50 feet) from Sur La Table, one of my favourite kitchenware shops and a string of fresh produce markets and close to Central Park. I am happy and relieved. And finally, (after an exhausting 6 weeks of pounding the pavement and a string of disappointments) I feel like I can breath.

Now onto these little cakes – aren’t they darling? They are also sinfully rich and incredibly delicious and would make a lovely addition to a dessert buffet, a high tea or any occasion that requires small, sweet and pretty morsels.

As soon as I mixed the ingredients together I knew they were going to be nice and fudgy – the mixture was very brownie-esq. The caramel ganache is so fabulous that you will be hard pressed to decorate all the cakes after trying it so many times (just to make sure it’s right, of course!).

I now have my champagne (yes, Mr Man is so elated that he actually bought champagne), so I am going to have a glass or two and stare at these very precious little cakes.

Fudge Cupcakes
100 grams/3.5 ounces dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
60 grams/2.1 ounces butter, finely chopped
65 grams/2.3 ounces caster sugar
60 ml Frangelico
1 egg yolk
55 grams/1.9 ounces self-raising flour
20 grams/.7 ounces Dutch-process cocoa, sifted

Chocolate Caramel Ganache
65 grams/2.3 ounces caster sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice
150 ml pouring cream
200 grams/7 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
 
Fudge Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 160c/320f. Combine chocolate, butter, sugar and Frangelico in a small saucepan and stir continuously over low heat until smooth and combined. Remove from heat, whisk in egg yolk, then flour and cocoa until smooth and just combined. Stand small patty cases in mini muffin tins and fill each to about 2/3’s full – you should get around 24. Bake until cakes are just set (12-15 minutes). Stand in tins for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Caramel Ganache
Combine sugar, lemon juice and 40ml water in a saucepan and stir to combine. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring until dark caramel in colour (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat, add cream and stir to combine. Add chocolate, return to heat and stir continuously until smooth and combined. Cool completely, whisking occasionally until cooled to room temperature (around an hour), then transfer to the refrigerator for another 20 mins to firm up (whisking every 5 minutes). Place in a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain nozzle. Pipe swirls or peaks on top of each cake and serve. Cakes can be stored, iced and in an airtight container, for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Notes: These little cakes can over cook very easily so watch them carefully. If they do look on the dry side then brush them with a little Frangelico.

Source: adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

© 2010, Michelle. All rights reserved.