Bake Gourmet Cupcakes: 6 Recipes from Famous Bakeries

6. Georgetown Cupcakes’ Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

In our nation’s capital, Georgetown Cupcakes is serving gourmet cupcakes to visitors and residents alike. The bake shop gave The Washington Post the details on how to make its chocolate ganache cupcakes, as well as an important lesson for at-home baking: If you really want to replicate that bake shop taste, you’ll want to use the best ingredients you can get your hands on.

Ingredients:

Help Feed and Clothe a Child in Need.

• 1? cups flour, sifted
• teaspoon baking soda, sifted
• teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Plugra brand, at room temperature
• 1? cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1? teaspoons vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon
• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• cup Valrhona cocoa powder (or other high-quality cocoa powder), sifted

Ganache

• cup heavy cream
• 1 cup Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips (or other high-quality semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups and a second pan with six baking cups. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.

Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup. Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined. Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated.

Learn More From a BBQ Expert.

Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache frosting, lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface. Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth. Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with one cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving.