Tasty Tuesday--Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

This weekend was Andy's birthday. He has one more year until the big 3-0! Uh oh! Anyway, to celebrate, we spent Sunday with the family at my parents' house. I made Andy these Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes, and they were delish.  I love chocolate ganache, and (bonus!) it's so much easier to prepare than buttercream frosting!

For the Cake

3/4 cup boiling water

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 oz. butter, room temp. (a stick and a half)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2 1/2 cup cake flour (I used all-purp.)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat to 350. Whisk together boiling water and cocoa powder until smooth; cover and set aside.  Cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue creaming until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add this, alternately with buttermilk, to the butter mixture. Once well combined, add the cocoa/water mixture and mix well until combined. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake 15-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely before adding ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

Over medium heat, heat cream just until it starts to bubble (don't let it burn!). Pour the warmed cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will be.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, just dip them in the ganache.

The best part of the day was that we got to see our sweet niece, Lucy. She is the most beautiful little girl in the world!