Basic Chocolate Ganache,
chilled at least 1 hour (recipe at right)
Cinnamon Creme Anglaise (recipe
at right)
Vegetable oil spray for misting
pans
All-purpose flour for dusting
pans
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain
devil's food cake mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar,
for dusting
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Prepare Basic
Chocolate Ganache, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator
to chill. Prepare Cinnamon Creme Anglaise, cover with plastic wrap placed
on the surface and put in refrigerator to chill.
Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400. Lightly mist 24 cupcake
cups with vegetable oil spray and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour.
Set pans aside.
Place cake mix, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon in a large mixing
bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop machine
and scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium
and blend 11/2 to 2 minutes more, scraping sides of bowl again as needed.
Batter should look well combined and thickened. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup
batter into each prepared cup, filling three-quarters full. (You will get
between 22 and 24 cupcakes.) Drop a heaping tablespoon of ganache onto
the top of the batter in each cup. Place pans in oven.
Bake
cupcakes until they bake up around the ganache, the tops are domed and
the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 12 to 14
minutes. Remove pans from oven and place on wire racks for 1 minute. Run
a dinner knife around edges of cupcake cups. Using end of knife, lift cupcakes
up from bottoms of cups and carefully pick them out with your fingertips.
Place on dessert plates, sift confectioners' sugar over the top and spoon
creme anglaise in a pool around each cupcake. Serve warm.
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3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces (11/3 cups) semisweet
chocolate chips
1 tablespoon liqueur of your
choice or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
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Basic
Chocolate Ganache
Place
cream in small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, stirring.
Meanwhile,
place the chocolate chips in a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Remove
cream from heat and pour over chocolate. Stir with a wooden spoon until
chocolate has melted. Stir in liqueur, if desired.
Let
sit at room temperature for 1 hour or chill for 20 to 30 minutes so it
thickens into a spreadable consistency. Use to frost or fill cupcakes of
your choice.
*
For a deeper flavor, try double-chocolate baking chips.
Makes
2 cups, enough to frost 24 cupcakes (21/2-inch size). |