How to Make the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling | Let's Make Dessert

Summary

This video demonstrates how to make ultimate chocolate cupcakes that are rich, moist, and filled with a gooey ganache center. The creator emphasizes using high-quality chocolate for the best results. The process starts with making the ganache, followed by the cupcake batter using Dutch-processed cocoa, coffee, and bread flour for a sturdy, flavorful base. After baking, the cupcakes are filled with ganache and topped with a silky, butter-based chocolate frosting made with egg whites and sugar. The detailed instructions ensure perfectly decadent cupcakes, with tips to avoid common baking issues.

Takeaways

• 🍫 The speaker loves chocolate but is usually unimpressed with chocolate cupcakes due to their tendency to be dry or tough.
• 🤩 These ultimate chocolate cupcakes are different, featuring a buttery soft frosting and a chewy, dense chocolate crumb with a gooey ganache filling.
• 🍽️ High-quality chocolate (60-70% cacao) is essential for the ganache and overall recipe, as budget chocolate affects the final result.
• 🔪 The ganache is made by finely chopping chocolate, adding powdered sugar and cream, and microwaving it for 20-30 seconds, followed by refrigeration for 30 minutes.
• ☕ The cupcake batter includes good-quality chocolate, Dutch-process cocoa, and hot coffee, which enhance the cupcake’s dark color and deep flavor.
• 🔬 Bread flour is used to create a sturdy cupcake that holds the gooey ganache filling without falling apart.
• 🧑‍🍳 The batter needs to be mixed carefully to avoid overworking it, which could lead to dense cupcakes, and poured into cupcake liners with chilled ganache added to the center of each cupcake.
• ⏲️ The cupcakes bake for 17-19 minutes and are cooled on a wire rack for an hour before frosting.
• 🎂 The frosting is a more complex buttercream, requiring melted chocolate, egg whites, sugar, and softened butter, and involves using a double boiler and stand mixer to achieve the perfect texture.
• 🧁 The final cupcakes are frosted with two scoops of fluffy chocolate frosting, using a spatula to create swirls and leaving a slight edge of cake exposed for a neat appearance.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker has with typical chocolate cupcakes?

The speaker finds that typical chocolate cupcakes can be dry and tough, with frosting that can be gritty.

What makes the speaker’s chocolate cupcakes different from the typical ones?

The speaker’s chocolate cupcakes have a chewy, dense, and tender chocolate crumb with an ooey gooey ganache filling and buttery soft frosting.

Why is it important to use high-quality chocolate in this recipe?

High-quality chocolate is important because it significantly improves the flavor and texture of the cupcakes, as the speaker has found budget chocolate does not yield the same results.

Why does the speaker use Dutch-processed cocoa instead of regular cocoa?

The speaker uses Dutch-processed cocoa because it produces a darker, almost black cupcake with a deep, complex flavor, which improves the overall taste.

Why does the speaker chill the ganache and coffee-chocolate mixture before using them?

The ganache is chilled so it can be easily shaped and placed in the cupcakes, while the coffee-chocolate mixture is chilled to cool down before being mixed with other ingredients to prevent overcooking.

What role does bread flour play in the cupcake batter?

Bread flour is used instead of all-purpose flour because it creates a sturdier cake that can hold the ganache filling without collapsing.

What is the function of white vinegar in the wet ingredients of the batter?

White vinegar adds a slight tang to the cupcakes, enhancing the overall flavor.

How does the speaker ensure the cupcakes don’t become dense and tough?

The speaker avoids over-mixing the batter, as over-mixing can lead to dense and tough cupcakes. They mix just enough to combine the ingredients without leaving streaks of flour.

What is the key to making the frosting smooth and fluffy, according to the speaker?

The speaker explains that the key to smooth and fluffy frosting is using egg whites, sugar, and melted chocolate, and ensuring the egg whites cool before adding butter. They also advise letting the mixer run longer if the frosting curdles.

Why does the speaker recommend adding chocolate to the frosting by drizzling it down the side of the bowl?

Drizzling the chocolate down the side of the bowl helps prevent backsplash from the whisk and ensures that more of the chocolate stays in the frosting mixture.