German Chocolate Cupcakes

My friend manages a medical office and orders cakes for her staff twice each month. She's been buying grocery store cakes, but now she's buying my cakes! She says her staff has been SUPER excited. This week, I tried my hand at German Chocolate Cupcakes. I am allergic to coconut, so I've been a bit nervous about making something I couldn't taste. (Gordan Ramsey would have a fit!) I used my mom to "taste test" the frosting and she said it was good and not too sweet.

I used this recipe because it was highly recommended by other bakers. This cake is not for beginners! The ingredients are also expensive (the chocolate is over $1/oz). So, here's a short cut:

1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
4 eggs

Mix the buttermilk and oil into the cake mix. Add one egg at a time and fold in gently. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. You will get a rich, moist cake with a nice "dome" on top.

Another simple thing that you can do at home is ganache. In simplest terms, ganache is chocolate with butter or heavy cream. It can be used for glazing, frosting, and even truffles. For these cupcakes, I used 6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2c. heavy cream. I used a double-broiler method to make it. I would also recommend placing your chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and bringing your cream to a boil on the stove top (or microwave if you're feeling brave). You can then pour the boiling cream over the chocolate chips. Mix with a spoon- do NOT whisk because air is not your friend. While the ganache is still warm, you can glaze cakes/cupcakes. The more it cools, the thicker it will set. If you want to whip it place it in the refrigerator (never the freezer) until it is slightly cold.

Happy Baking!