A moist Chocolate Cupcake with a rich, silky, and smooth ganache that just melts in your mouth.

This chocolate cupcake is so rich in taste and stays moist for days, it is topped with a delicious chocolate ganache.



This is the perfect cupcake for any chocolate lover, the ganache pipes beautifully onto your cupcake, or just spread it on top of your cupcake with a small offset/straight palette knife.



This silky ganache shows off a super-shiny and luscious finish on your cupcake, sprinkle the top with some confetti quins for a serious eye appeal on your cupcakes.

Before you bake

 

Read the recipe completely; make sure you have everything you need.



For all the step-by-step, pictures scroll to → Notes and click on the clickable link

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Bakers Note

The type of all-purpose flour you choose plays a big role in the final texture of your cupcakes. For those dreamy, melt-in-your-mouth tender cupcakes, the secret lies in the protein content of your flour. I personally go for an all-purpose flour with about 9% protein content, which hits that sweet spot of tenderness perfectly. This kind of flour is on the lower end of the protein scale, akin to what you'd find in pastry flour, known for its fine, tender crumb in baked goods. Now, if you're reaching for a bag of flour with a protein content around 12% to 13%, you're venturing into bread territory. Flours with higher protein content are great for chewy breads but can make your cupcakes more dense than desirable. So, for the lightest, fluffiest cupcakes, sticking to a lower protein content in your all-purpose flour will make all the difference. It's a simple tweak with a big impact on your baking!

For the most divine chocolate cupcakes, I recommend using a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, one that boasts a higher cocoa butter content, ideally sitting around 20-22%. Luxury brands like Valrhona are known for such premium cocoa powders. But don't fret if your local supermarket shelves don't stock these gourmet options. The standard cocoa powder found there, often with a cocoa butter content closer to 10%, can still yield delicious results. Keep in mind, though, that lower cocoa butter percentages could mean a drier or more crumbly cupcake texture. If you ever find yourself puzzled by a batch that's less moist than expected, the cocoa butter content could be the culprit. Understanding this can help tweak your recipe for next time, ensuring every bake brings you closer to perfection.

Baking Time: It's important to note that baking times can vary depending on your oven. In my experience, 20 minutes is the sweet spot for standard cupcakes, while jumbo cupcakes require a bit more patience, baking perfectly at 23 minutes. This ensures a moist center and a delicate crumb.

For consistently perfect and evenly sized cupcakes, I swear by using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, specifically one that measures 5.5 cm (2 1/4 inches). It's a simple tool that makes filling your cupcake liners a breeze, guaranteeing uniformity in size and bake. These scoops are readily available on platforms like Amazon, making them an easy addition to your baking arsenal.

By embracing these tips and selecting the right ingredients, you're well on your way to creating chocolate cupcakes that not only taste divine but also look the part.

Silky ganache

 

When you make ganache it’s important to use good-quality dark chocolate like Valrhona or another good brand. Most chocolate bars from the grocery store contain additives or artificial ingredients that will prevent you from getting the silky consistency you aiming for when making the ganache.



I prefer using bittersweet Valrhona 66% for this recipe, I love the depth of flavor you get when using bittersweet chocolate!



I use glucose in this recipe it gives the ganache a beautiful shine and makes it glossy, keeps it smooth, and increases the shelf life. You can replace the glucose with light corn syrup or honey.

The salted butter and the espresso powder just kick the flavor up a notch, even if you think you don't like coffee, just trust me and add the espresso powder.

Adding butter softens the ganache and makes it smoother, I love using salted butter at times.