RecipeStripper

Clean recipe · eatlittlebird.com

Christmas Cupcakes

Moist chocolate gingerbread cupcakes topped with a chocolate ganache. These Christmas Cupcakes are an elegant dessert for the festive season!

Original recipe: eatlittlebird.com

Yield:
12 servings
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
20 min
Total:
40 min
Open cooking tools

Adjust servings, check off ingredients, and save a copy in the recipe reader.

Christmas Cupcakes

Ingredients

  1. 125 ml water
  2. 75 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
  3. 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
  4. 150 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
  5. 5 g baking powder
  6. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  7. 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  8. pinch fine salt
  9. 2 eggs
  10. 3 tablespoons sour cream
  11. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  12. 100 g unsalted butter (softened)
  13. 160 g dark muscovado sugar (or dark brown sugar, or light muscovado sugar)
  14. 100 ml double cream
  15. 125 g dark chocolate (60% or 70% cocoa)
  16. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  17. fresh redcurrants

Instructions

  1. For the Cupcakes

    Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F (without fan).
  2. Preheat a metal tray in the middle shelf of the oven.
  3. Place the water, chocolate and instant coffee in a small saucepan.
  4. Heat the saucepan until the chocolate starts to melt.
  5. Take the saucepan off the heat.
  6. Whisk the mixture until the chocolate has fully melted and the liquid mixture is smooth.
  7. Set aside to cool slightly while you get on with the rest of the recipe.
  8. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice and salt into a large bowl.
  9. In a small jug, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
  10. Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
  11. Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
  12. Add the egg mixture.
  13. Slowly beat in the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time.
  14. Keep beating the batter until everything is well incorporated and smooth.
  15. Line a 12-hole cupcake/muffin pan with paper cases.
  16. Divide the batter between the paper cases.
  17. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
  18. Leave the cupcakes in the pan for about 5 minutes, before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.

  19. For the Chocolate Ganache

    In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, gently warm the cream, chocolate and vanilla.
  20. Once you see the chocolate start to melt, remove the saucepan from the heat.
  21. Use a whisk to mix everything together.
  22. If there are still solid pieces of chocolate, return the saucepan to the heat until all of the chocolate has melted, whisking continuously.
  23. Once you have a smooth and thick mixture, the ganache is ready.
  24. Set the saucepan aside for the mixture to cool slightly. The ganache will thicken as it cools, but you want to use it while it is still warm.

  25. To Decorate the Cupcakes

    Dollop a generous teaspoon of warm ganache onto a cupcake.
  26. Decorate with some redcurrants.
  27. Repeat for all of the cupcakes.