Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Ganache

I KNOW!!!!!!!!.......the vanilla cupcake is totally lost........thanks to the sinful looking ganache.....it has stolen all the limelight.......Please do not be blinded by the ganache and forget my vanilla cupcakes.....coz they are beautiful soft spongy pillows that just melt in your mouth and the orange zest works like magic which makes these cupcakes extra special......these come under my 'Have to make every month' list and 'Vanishes in seconds' list.

Recipe source :Joy of Baking

Ingredients

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For Vanilla Cupcake

• 113 grams Butter , softened (1/2 cup)
• 130 grams Sugar (2/3 cup)
• 3 large Eggs ,room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Zest of one Orange or Lemon
• 195 grams Flour (1 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 60 ml Milk (1/4 cup)

For Chocolate Ganache

• 300 grams Dark Chocolate
• 200 ml Cream

Method

For Vanilla Cupcake

1. Preheat oven at 180 Degree C , line muffin trays with cupcake cases.
2. Mix orange / lemon zest , flour,baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a bowl beat butter an sugar till light. fluffy and pale,add one egg at a time,beating after each addition.Now add vanilla extract.
4. Add flour and milk in 3 batches,starting and ending with flour mixture and beating in medium speed after each addition.
5. Using an ice cream scoop divide the batter into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 to 25 minutes or when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack.let the cupcakes cool in the muffin trays.
7. Once cooled completely pipe chocolate ganache on top.

Method for Ganache

1. Keep grated chocolate in a heat proof bowl.
2. Pour cream into a saucepan and place on medium flame.Remove once small bubbles start forming in the sides of the saucepan.Do not boil.Pour this hot cream on the chocolate and let stand for a minute.
3. Mix till all the chocolate melts and you are left with smooth ganache.
4. Let  it cool down completely, the ganache will thicken, transfer into a piping bag and pipe the cupcake with the ganache.

Chocolate cake in a Can - Happy Birthday my better quarter

How many of you fall into the category of wives who do not appreciate their husbands much??.........well I surely do........I know........I am such a witch..........well........having said that........I am still not going to appreciate my husband just because its his birthday.........coz its just not ME.......and.......there is no way I am giving him an opportunity to fly too high ( I might change my mind if my husband surprises me with a Kitchen Aid cake mixer :)........oh my god I am such a witch.

All jokes apart.......Wish you a very Happy Birthday Shailesh......you know me very well to realize that I don't show much affection and you also know what is in my heart.......All I want to say is that you have given me a great gift and that is 'Patience'( I am still trying to master it).....you are a great friend ....and.......the best father ever.

I recently came across this author Debby Maugan Nakos who specializes in small batch baking.... and when I saw this recipe where the cake is baked in a can I was so amazed....it is just the perfect recipe if you are baking for two.....I had to try it out and just loved the idea.

Recipe source: Small batch baking

Ingredients  

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For Chocolate Cake 

• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp Egg, well beaten egg
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup + 2tbsp All purpose flour
• 1/3cup + 1tbsp Sugar
• 3tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1/8 tsp Baking powder
• 1/8tsp Baking Soda
• 1/8tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted Butter softened

For Ganache

• 100 g Dark Chocolate (I used Bournville 40% cocoa)
• 100 ml Cream

Method

For Chocolate cake

1. Clean 2 cans (I have used 450g empty pineapple slice tin), remove the top and the paper around the can.Line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the sides with butter and dust with flour.Set aside.You can also use 4 muffin cases instead of a can. I have used one can and 2 muffin cases.
2. Preheat oven at 180 degree C
3. In a bowl mix in egg,milk and vanilla extract. Whisk till well combined.Set aside.
4. In a small bowl sieve flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda,salt and cocoa powder.
5. Add the softened butter and half of the milk mixture. Using a handheld electric beater ,beat on low speed till all the ingredients are combined and moist.Increase the speed to medium and beat till the batter is light and increased in volume(around 45 seconds)
6. Add remaining milk mixture and beat till well blended (20 seconds)
7. Transfer the batter into the 2 greased cans or 4 muffin cases and bake till done,when a toothpick inserted it comes out clean.20 minutes for cupcakes and 30 minutes for can. My cake in can took 40 minutes to bake completely.
8. Transfer the cans onto a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake and invert the can and remove the cakes and let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting them.

For Ganache

1. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate on high. After every 30 seconds remove the bowl from oven and mix the chocolate with a spoon and then pop it back in the oven and continue till the chocolate is melted.My chocolate took 1 minute 30 seconds to melt.Or melt over double boil.
2. Add the cream to the melted chocolate and mix till you have a smooth thick chocolate ganache. Cool this before  frosting the cake.

To Assemble

1. Place the cooled cake on a serving plate. Cut the cake to half  horizontally. Apply the ganache on top of the bottom half and spread evenly.Place the top half of the cake on the ganache and frost the whole cake.

Rich chocolate cake with chocolate ganache

It was my Mom's birthday on 25th and I was all prepared to bake a cake for her,something went wrong and it failed,the cake just did not rise,it was like a flat ,hard piece of cake and whats worse it had that EGGY smell.I was so disappointed,I had no time to bake another cake.We had to settle with a store bought cake.But I was determined to make a cake for my mom,the next day with my sister Devinas help,we made this amazing cake.

This cake was yummmm,the chocolate cake,whipped cream and ganache makes an amazing combination.I would like to thank Devina for helping me out and also for sharing her friends recipe for the whipped cream frosting.I would also suggest you use a 9 inch baking pan,coz we used 8 inch pan and the cakes looked so chubby and each slice was very tall.

 Ingredients for Cake- recipe source hersheys perfect chocolate cake
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• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup  Cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder(got this idea from Divya Kudua's blog easycooking )

 Ingredients for Whipped cream frosting 

• 3tbsp  unsalted butter (softened)
• 6 tbsp caster or icing sugar
• 400ml whipping cream (I used Emborg)
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

Ingredients for ganache (recipe from blog easycooking)

• 200 grms semi sweet chocolate chips
• 200 ml heavy cream

Method for Cake
1. Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake tin and keep aside.
2.Pre heat oven at 175 degree C.
3.Mix 2 tsp instant coffee powder in the boiling water and keep aside.
4. Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda ,cocoa powder and salt.Place it in a big mixing bowl,add the sugar.
5.Add eggs,milk,oil and vanilla essence into the mixing bowl.Beat with an electric whisk on medium speed for 2 minutes.Pour in the boiling water (with coffee powder) into the batter and mix well.The batter will be thin.

 6. Divide the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 175 degree C till the cake is done.
7.Cool the cake for 5 minutes in the tin,then cool it completely on wire rack before icing it.

 Method to prepare Ganache

1. Pour cream into a thick bottomed vessel, place on  low flame.When the bubbles form around sides of the pan,remove from flame and pour on to the chocolate chips.Let it stay for a few minutes,mix till the chocolate and cream is well blended and the chocolate chips are melted.
2. You will have an amazing smooth and silky batter.let the ganache cool down completely before using.If it hardens then heat in a microwave for few seconds.keep this aside.

Method to prepare whipped cream frosting

1. Beat sugar and butter in a bowl using an electric whisk,when its creamy add the salt, vanilla essence and cream.
2. Whip on high speed till thick and fluffy.Place in the fridge till further use.

 how to assemble

1. Place one Chocolate cake on a cake tray. slice the top part of the cake to make it even(at this point you can place three strips of baking paper around the edges of the cake,this helps in keeping the cake tray clean while you are icing the cake.after the icing the cake just pull away the baking paper).Put 4 to 5 tbsp of whipped cream frosting on the cake and spread it evenly. Pour around 4 tbsp of cooled ganache on the whipped cream and spread.Place another cake on top of the ganache.
2. Slice top of the cake to make it even and flat.Use all the whipped cream frosting and cover the cake evenly.place the cake in the fridge for 10 minute,
3. Remove the cake and pour the ganache on top of the cake,You can let the ganache drip down the sides of the cake or spread it around the entire cake.
4. Place the cake in fridge till the ganache sets, once its set remove the baking paper on the sides of the cake (ganache would have dripped on it)
5. Decorate the cake .I have used sprinkles to decorate this cake.
6. Serve with vanilla icecream .