Double Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes

This month's Cupcake Hero theme is Coffee, in honor of Mr. Quirky Cupcake's birthday. I am the only coffee lover in my family, so I had to make something not too strong for the Mr. and kiddo's would eat them. I made a white chocolate cupcake, filled with a chocolate espresso ganache and topped with a chocolate buttercream frosting.

I had to make the chocolate espresso ganache a day before, and you can easily roll this ganache into truffles. They are excellent and really easy to make.

Chocolate Espresso Ganache: (a.k.a. Gale's Famous Truffles from Butter, Sugar, Flour and Eggs)
1 1/2 Cups creme fraiche or sour cream (I use sour cream)
2 Tbsp finely ground espresso
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Combine the sour cream and espresso in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it boils, turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Strain the hot sour cream mixture into the bowl. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cover and let rest in a cool place overnight. Do not refrigerate. The mixture will become firm but not hard.
(If you want to roll into balls, I put the mixture in the refrigerator overnight.)

White Chocolate Cupcakes:

6 oz. white chocolate, chopped
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 Cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Place white chocolate and butter in mixing bowl over saucepan with simmering water. Stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat and add the sugar, mix well. The butter will separate and come to the top. This is ok. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. The mixture will thicken and will combine together. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture, mix on medium speed until blended.

Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. Rotate pan and bake for 7 minutes longer.


Chocolate Buttercream:
2 Sticks butter, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
8 Tbsp. cocoa
2 lb. bag of powdered sugar
milk

Mix the butter and cocoa together with a mixer, add vanilla. While mixing, gradually add the powdered sugar and add milk to get the consistency that you want.


To assemble the cupcake:
Cut out a cone in the top/middle of the cupcake. Fill the hole with ganache and top with the piece of cupcake that you cut out. Pipe or spread on the buttercream.