Truffle-Centred Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 20 cupcakes
Recipe: 115/200
“Back to Baking”, pp. 141

    For years now, I have used the same recipe from Everyday Annie to make chocolate cupcakes or chocolate cakes, which is often. Those cakes are moist, very chocolaty and always a huge hit. They have never failed me and it is my go-to recipe when I need to make a tasty cake. I have never found a chocolate cake/cupcake recipe better than that one. Until now, perhaps. I had yet to make something stuffed with a truffle so was a bit doubtful about the mechanisms of such a feat, but I was very excited to try this recipe. It is a bit more involved than your normal cupcake recipe, but these are still very manageable and the benefit is tremendous. These cupcakes are scrumptious. Delectable. Heavenly. My friend and boyfriend had some first at a game night fresh out of the oven and frosted, and they were raving about them. They dared say that these were the best cupcakes that I had ever made. I thought, surely not. These guys are exaggerating. I had one and to my surprise and joy, they were not. These cupcakes are moist, chocolaty, with a nice soft chocolate truffle surprise in the middle. The frosting is just perfect. Not too sweet, not too rich, but a joy to make and an even better joy to spread and eat.

Ingredients for truffles:

• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3 oz (90 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Ingredients for cupcakes:

• 2 oz (60 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup + ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup + ½ cup milk
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for frosting:

• 3 oz (90 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted, plus extra to adjust consistency if necessary

    I had some doubts regarding how the cupcakes would bake around and on top of the truffle, but they did so perfectly without any problems. It is however very important to not fill your cupcakes more than halfway. Also, I noticed after baking that my truffles were not in the center of the cupcake, but rather had sunk to the bottom (note: this did not impact the deliciousness factor of the truffle). It is possible that I had made them a bit too big as I only managed to make 18 instead of 20, so perhaps the extra little bit of weight was enough to drag the truffles down. To try to prevent this you should really aim to make 20 evenly-sized truffles and absolutely do not press them into the cupcakes at all when placing them (step 10).  I cannot emphasize this enough. Place the truffle as gently and delicately as possible on the top of the cupcake batter filled halfway. Apart from this, these cupcakes were simply perfect. They were so delicious that I did not feel the need to pimp them out at all, and decorating is actually my favorite part of baking! Do yourselves and your family, friends or colleagues a favour and make these cupcakes. Soon!

Directions:

1. To prepare the truffles, heat the cream to a simmer and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then gently whisk to blend. Chill this mixture until set, about 2 hours.
2. Spoon this ganache into 20 truffles, shaping them between your hands into 3/4-inch (2 cm) balls. Chill the truffles until ready to use.
3. Preheat the over to 375°F and line 20 muffin cups with paper liners.
4. For the cupcakes, melt the chocolate and butter together in a saucepot over low heat, making sure to stir once in a while.
5. Stir in ⅔ cup of the brown sugar and ⅓ cup of the milk. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
   • Note: Don’t worry if the mixture does not look smooth. It will even out later.
6. Pour this mixture into a bowl and whisk in the remaining ⅔ cup of brown sugar. Cool to room temperature.
7. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
8. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this to the chocolate mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the remaining ½ cup of milk, starting and ending with the flour. Whisk well after each addition.
9. Pour the batter, which will be quite fluid, into the prepared muffin cups, filling to halfway.
10. Gently place a truffle in the centre of each cupcake. Do not press it in, as it will settle and become completely enveloped but the batter as it bakes. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, until the cupcake springs back when gently pressed. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
11. For the frosting, stir the chocolate and butter in a saucepot over low heat until melted. Transfer this to a bowl and whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
12. Beat in the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth and spreadable, adding a touch more icing sugar if needed. Spread or pipe the frosting onto each cupcake.

Notes from Anna:

• “For a cupcake to be a cupcake, it really needs frosting” – Anna Olson. I couldn’t agree more with this statement. For me, frosting is what makes the difference between a cupcake and a muffin.
• The cupcakes should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container and will keep for up to 2 days. Do not refrigerate. 
• If consumed within 24 hours of baking, the truffle filling will be soft and almost fluid. After a day, the truffle sets further, but it is still satisfyingly delicate.

Valerie