Fudgy Chocolate Cupcakes With Ganache-Frosting

Last Friday I met with some girlfriends who I haven't seen in a while, which gave me a reason to bake (although I don't actually need reasons). When I was looking for a recipe I noticed that I have yet to share my recipe for the most amazing, super moist chocolate cupcakes with fudgy chocolate frosting with you! But be aware, these cupcakes really are for chocolate lovers only. They remind me less of a small version of a light chocolate cake and more of a mix between a brownie and a chocolate cake. Which is precisely what I love about them! I hate dry cakes and cupcakes. And the fudgy frosting takes them over the edge... Make them for your loved ones, make them for yourself when you crave that chocolate overdose, I don't care as long as you make them soon! Trust me, these will not let you down ;)

Fudgy Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Frosting

makes about 14 cupcakes 

Ingredients for the cupcakes:

• 100 g semisweet chocolate
• 125 g unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 70 g white sugar
• 125 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 200 g sour cream
• 1 espresso
• a pinch of salt

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 180 g semisweet chocolate
• 180 g heavy cream
• 1 heaping tablespoon of sour cream
• a pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. 
2. To make the cupcakes, melt the butter with the chocolate on the stovetop over low heat, while stirring occasionally to make sure nothing burns. 
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until creamy, using an electric hand-held mixer. This takes about 2 minutes.
4. Add the chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk it all together. Then add the espresso and the sour cream and whisk together until everything is combined. 
5. Sift the flour, the baking powder, the cocoa powder and the salt together and add it to the batter. Fold it in carefully. The batter will be quite stiff, that's fine.
6. Fill up the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way and bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, insert a skewer to see whether they need more time in the oven. 
7. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
8. For the frosting, break up the chocolate into pieces and add them to a bowl. 
9. Heat the cream and the salt in a pot just until simmering. Take it off the heat, let it sit for about 30 seconds and then add the cream to the chocolate.
10. Let this sit for about 1 minute and then start to whisk, until everything is combined.
11. Add the sour cream and whisk it in. 
12. The frosting has to come down to room temperature before you can use it. I recommend letting it sit for about 2-3 hours or even overnight.  
13. When the frosting has reached the desired consistency you can spread it on the cupcakes using a butter knife or an off-set spatula and decorate it to your liking.