Dark Chocolate Cupcakes and Cookie Dough Cupcakes!

I found a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcakes on Pinterest the other day and just had to try it. I also wanted to experiment a little so I created a chocolate cupcake with whipped chocolate ganache filling and vanilla buttercream frosting. Yum yum yum!!
Luckily I have 100 kids at school who love cupcakes so I can make a bunch and not worry about them lingering around my house.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling
I've posted the recipe for the chocolate cupcakes before but here it is again.
Makes 24 standard-size cupcakes

• 1¾ cups plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1¾ cup caster (superfine granules) sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line 2 standard muffin tin pans with paper liners, set aside.
2. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt into a medium-sized bowl.  Whisk together until well combined, set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
4. Reduce to low-medium speed and add the eggs one-at-a-time, and beat until well combined after each addition, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
5. Add the sour cream and vanilla and continue to beat on low-medium speed until combined, scraping sides of bottom of bowl as needed.
6. Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, and mixing until just incorporated after each.
7. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
8. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centres comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.
9. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool for a few minutes.  Remove cupcakes from tins and return to wire racks to cool completely.

**Dig a little out of the middle of the cupcakes and fill them with the whipped chocolate ganache.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

• 2 2/3 cups of milk chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla

1. Heat the whipping cream on the stove.
2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
3. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until the chocolate is melted. Then add the salt and vanilla.
 Mix well.
4. Let it chill for at least 1 hour then mix with a beater until it makes a nice mousse.

Vanilla Buttercream

• 3 cups of confectioner's sugar
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 4-5 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

1. Beat the sugar and butter until it is crumbly.
2. Add heavy cream, salt, and vanilla until mixture is smooth.




Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes (original blogger)

Cupcakes
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
**1/4-1/2 cup of milk

Frosting
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar,
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cupcakes

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour. **I added milk because the filling was too sticky. The milk did a great job of making it creamier.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

Frosting

Beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Enjoy!!