(Belated) Sunday Recipe #2: Mocha Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Hi everyone!

Long time no see... Sorry for the delay in posts! I was in northern MN at a cabin all last week with the  family. We didn't end up crossing over into Canada after all (Mr. G was afraid I'd get stuck because of my outdated passport), but we had a nice, relaxing week that I will relay in my next post.

For this post, I'm attempting to catch up on one of the Sunday recipes I missed with my latest cupcake confection - mocha cupcakes with chocolate ganache!

Let me begin by announcing that I am no longer a mall employee... I quit my job just before going on vacation. My managers and coworkers were all really sweet, and I was treated well, but it was time to leave retail. My last week was also our biggest sale of the season, so I was scheduled for my first (and hopefully only) overnight floorset shift. It was also a potluck for us associates, so of course I seized the opportunity to try a new cupcake recipe. Here it is:

Mocha Cupcakes (from my 200 Cupcakes recipe book):

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup water
• Heaping 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly salted butter (I used unsalted)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp coffee granules
• 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Directions:
• Line muffin pan with paper/foil liners and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Put water and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the butter, cocoa powder, baking soda, and coffee granules and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool. (Try a little bit - it legitimately tastes like mocha!)
• Beat flour and eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Pour cake mixture into muffin pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until risen and firm. 
• Makes 1 dozen cupcakes.

Chocolate Ganache (from my faves Katherine and Sophie at Georgetown Cupcake):

• Ingredients:
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups chocolate chips 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Directions:
• Put 2 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil.
• Place large heat-resistant bowl on top of boiling pot.
• Pour chocolate chips and heavy cream into bowl.
• Stir continuously until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is smooth and shiny. This process should only take 3 minutes. :)
• When ganache is ready, "dip and twist" cupcakes into mixture and add desired topping.

Here are photos of the ganache and the finished cupcakes:

FYI - these cupcakes taste even better than they look. They're perfect for both chocolate and coffee lovers alike, and they're practically necessary for all-nighters (that's how I justify it). 

Hope you enjoy! I'll report on the vacation soon. Feel free to comment with any yummy coffee recipes you recommend.

<3 Mrs. G