Chocolate Cupcakes With A Chocolate Orange And Clove Infused Ganache Filling And A Chinese Spiced Tea Buttercream Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the cocoa powder and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl until smooth; set aside. Put the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted; set aside and let cool.
• Sift the flour and baking soda into a large bowl; stir in the salt. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a separate large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the cocoa mixture and the melted chocolate; mix until combined. Beat in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk in two batches, until combined. Beat in the liqueur.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache: Combine the semisweet chocolate, 1 cup heavy cream and the salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted and smooth, about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside until the ganache is cool and thick (but not hard), about 1 hour.
• Beat the remaining 1/3 cup heavy cream and the confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form. Fold in 1/4 cup of the cooled ganache until smooth. Cut a small hole (about 1/2 inch deep) into the center of each cupcake with a paring knife; remove the cake. Use a small measuring spoon to fill the hole with the chocolate whipped cream.
• Beat the remaining ganache with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. (Be careful not to overbeat or the ganache will become grainy.) Transfer the whipped ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Top with shaved white chocolate.

Steps:

• Line muffin pans with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly in the pan.
• For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
• Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Decorate with candied violets, if desired. Do not refrigerate.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the sugar, flour, cocoa, pinch of salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the dark chocolate and orange zest. Put 12 cupcake cases in a 12-hole tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Whisk in 2 tbsp hot water to loosen and fold in the orange zest. Divide the icing evenly between two bowls. Add a few drops of orange food colouring to one bowl and stir until the icing turns bright orange. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp milk, then beat until combined.
• Fill one side of a piping bag (use one with a large round nozzle) with the orange icing, then fill the other side with the chocolate buttercream. Pipe on top of each cupcake. Decorate with some extra orange zest and a grating of dark chocolate.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating briefly after each addition. Mix in chocolate syrup and vanilla extract. Add flour; mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes; do not overbake. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• While cupcakes are cooling, combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, and instant coffee granules for the ganache in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between, until melted.
• Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Do not refrigerate.

Steps:

• FOR GANACHE FILLING: Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners' sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
• FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
• Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
• TO FROST: Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.