Shelly's Recipe

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH FRANGELICO GANACHE

Category: Cupcakes

Frangelico Chocolate Ganache (recipe follows)
2 shots espresso with 1-3/4 cups hot water (Americano), or substitute 2 cups hot strong coffee
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder and Americano/coffee until it looks like a smooth chocolate sauce; set aside to cool. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until nice and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until batter and mix for 2 minutes. Add chocolate-coffee sauce mixture and mix the cake batter for 3 minutes on medium-high or until the batter is smooth.

Fill each muffin cup until 2/3 full. Bake about 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing and allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost each cupcake with a heap of Frangelico chocolate ganache.

Frangelico Ganache
16 oz high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
6 tbsp Frangelico hazelnut liqueur

In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil and immediately turn heat off. Add chocolate to the cream, stirring constantly until chocolate ganache is smooth. Add Frangelico liqueur and allow ganache to cool.