Chocolate Cupcakes with a Frangelico and White Chocolate Ganache

I thought I should make something nice to bring into work today, something with a bit of 'oomph'...after much deliberation I decided to make a recipe for top deck cupcakes I have had lying around for ages, and add some 'oomph' to it by turning them into chocolate cupcakes with a frangelico and white chocolate ganache :)


To start with you will need:

125g butter, chopped
1 cup caster sugar
100g dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup hot water
2 tablespoons Frangelico Liqueur
¾ cup plain flour
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten

White chocolate ganache
100g white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons thickened cream
3 tbspns Frangelico Liqueur

Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Line a 12-hole cupcake pan with paper cases (When I made this I got 12 normal cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes as well)

Combine butter, sugar, water, chocolate and liqueur in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth - alternatively you can heat in the microwave, stirring regularly. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Cool 10 minutes.

Sift flours and cocoa together. Fold into chocolate mixture. Stir in egg. Spoon mixture into cupcake cases until 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean or the cupcakes bounce back when you touch them. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache, melt chocolate and cream in the microwave, once it has cooled slightly stir through 2-3 tbspns of Frangelico - check for taste and add more if you want!)

Using an electric mixer, beat chocolate mixture for 3-5 minutes until thick and fluffy. Unfortunately I only had extra light cream so it wouldn't thicken but the end result was still yummy. Once your frosting is ready, spread over cooled cupcakes.

Despite eating far too much of the ganache last night and swearing never to go near it again, I have to confess it's only 8am and I have already had one of these for breakfast....

Enjoy!

Em x