My friend Paula loves buttercream. The other day I was trying to convince her to have her wedding cupcakes not only mini but with another frosting, like white ganache – it’s got to be white because her wedding will be all white with hints of navy blue. So I decided to make these mini cupcakes to see if I can change her mind 🙂

VERY CHOCOLATEY CUPCAKES
(adapted from The Ghirardelli Chocolate CookBook, through La Cucinetta)

INGREDIENTS
170g flour
20g cocoa powder
1 ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
110g muscovado sugar
100g granulated sugar
120ml milk
80ml espresso coffee
120ml vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)

FROSTING AND FILLING (white ganache)
130g white chocolate, chopped (I used Callebaut buttons)
80ml double cream

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180°C and line a 24-hole mini cupcake tin with paper cups.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl mix together muscovado sugar, granulated sugar and egg until well blended. Add milk, coffee and oil. Whisk in the dry ingredients.

Pour batter into cups and bake for about 15 minutes. Leave to cool.

For the ganache, heat double cream in the microwave oven for about 45 seconds or until it is hot. Add the chocolate buttons and stir until well combined. Put it in the fridge while you core the cupcakes.

Pipe in the ganache and make a beautiful swirl on top of your cupcakes.

NOTES: I used a cunning little trick I’ve learnt with Juliana, from Cupcakeando: wrapping the ganache in cling film before putting it into the piping bag makes the work a lot less messy!
I got 35 mini cupcakes.
This ganache tastes much like the filling of the Lindt white truffles =)
The ganache didn’t turn out white enough for the wedding, so I’m going to suggest it only for the filling and to have the cupcakes covered with white fondant.