These wonderful cupcakes are reminiscent of my version of sachertorte, because good things are worth spreading and repeating. It is not
imperative to use two types of chocolate, however for ganache only pure
chocolate will do. Check the ingredient list. Pure chocolate should have a maximum
of FIVE ingredients, with chocolate being TWO of the top three. It should have 70%
or greater cacao solids with no artificial flavours or extra ingredients.
The chocolate must be fresh with a recent date, because the flavour is lost
very quickly and the bar goes rancid within a few weeks. Inferior chocolate,
chocolate chips or cocoa should never make it into ganache.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES width GANACHE
Cupcakes:
4 eggs separated
4 heaping Tbsp sugar
2-1/2 heaping Tbsp cake flour
2-1/2 heaping Tbsp cocoa
Ganache:
1.5 oz [or 42.5 g] pure bittersweet chocolate
3/8 oz [or 10.6 g] pure semisweet chocolate
3/8 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp salted butter, at room temperature, cut into small
pieces
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- If using a stand beater transfer the beaten egg whites to a different bowl.
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and lemon coloured.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the cake flour with the cocoa.
- Stir the flour mixture into the egg yolk batter.
- Gradually, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
- Generously spray a large cupcake pan with cooking spray.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a sharp knife inserted into a middle cupcake comes out clean.
- Make the chocolate ganache while the cupcakes bake in the oven.
- Chop the chocolate into small, matchstick-size pieces and place in a large stainless steel or heat-resistant bowl.
- Bring the cream to a rising boil and pour, all at once, over the chopped chocolate.
- Stir until the chocolate is melted and completely smooth with no lumps.
- Quickly stir in the softened butter, until completely dissolved.
- Set aside.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. The cupcakes are fragile to handle.
- Remove cakes from the cupcake pan and let them cool completely before dipping the tops into the ganache.
