Ghirardelli Truffle Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Cupcake, filled with a Homemade Milk Chocolate Truffle, topped with a White Chocolate Buttercream. 

I recently took a road trip up to Milwaukee to get a car with my boyfriend. On the way back, we decided to stop in and do some outlet shopping. After visiting the Coach and other outlets, we discovered the Ghirardelli outlet store, (which was Amazing!) and got the Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook. All three of these recipes are from the book (however the combination was all me).

Notice the wrappers? They are Reynolds Pre-Baked Liners that I found at Schnucks. They stay bright even after baking, and I am in love with them! I will be definitely buying more of those.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: 24 Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso (I used instant espresso powder with boiling water)
• 1 cup unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. 
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and white sugar. 
4. Whisk in the milk, coffee, and melted butter. 
5. Whisk in the dry ingredients. 
6. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake molds, filling them about three-quarters full.
7. Bake for 5 minutes, then insert a truffle into the center of each cupcake (recipe below)
8. Bake for 10 more minutes
9. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan.  
10. Continue to cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

I was a little worried about the domes on top

Milk Chocolate Truffles
Yield: 30 truffles

• 2 cups Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. 
2. Add the butter and stir until melted. 
3. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. 
4. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl.
5. Cool, cover, and refrigerate the mixture until firm, at least 2 hours. (I am impatient so it went into the freezer to speed this up)
6. Using a small scoop or small spoon, roll the mixture into 1/2 inch to 1 inch balls. 
7. Freeze until hardened and ready to insert in cupcakes

Sadly, I don't have a picture of the truffles themselves, but they turned out well. I expected them to be a solid mass in the center after baking, but it seems they just dissolved into the dark chocolate batter. 

See: no definitive truffle after baking

Even though the truffle did not stay a solid mass as expected, these are pretty delicious! They got rave reviews at dinner tonight. (I was even called 'the most amazing baker ever'!) Smiles!

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 12 oz Ghirardelli White Chocolate bar
• 8 large egg whites
• 2 C plus 4 T sugar
• 2 C plus 4 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• White Chocolate Chips to garnish

1. Melt the white chocolate baking bar in the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Cool to room temperature. 
2. While the chocolate is cooling, combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. 
3. Place the bowl in a pot of simmering water so the water comes a third of the way up the bowl. 
4. Lightly whisk the egg whites just until hot to the touch, about 1-1/2 minutes. 
5. Remove the bowl from the pot on whisk on high speed until very thick and cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. 
6. Decrease the mixer to medium-low speed and add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing the butter in before adding the next tablespoon. 
7. Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth. 
8. Frost the top of each cupcake (I used tip #1A) and sprinkle them with the white chocolate chips.

This recipe was a swiss meringue buttercream, which I despise and love at the same time. It is temperamental and time-consuming, but delicious. I almost thought I messed it up when it came out super liquidy, but a little time in the freezer and a really good whip up on super-high level with the mixer turned it around. This frosting would be great on a white cupcake too, delicious in its own right.

After getting these frosted, they were surprisingly heavy, but the perfect density. I recommend refrigerating them a bit before enjoying.