Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes & My 1-Year Blogoversary GIVEAWAY!

What better way to celebrate my 1 Year Blogoversay than with a yummy cupcake recipe and an AWESOME giveaway, right?!?!

Here's the perfect combination: moist and chocolaty cake with just the right amount of rich ganache frosting on top, add a sprinkling of chopped, toasted Hazelnuts and now you’ve got something! These cupcakes taste amazing and I think the best thing about them is that each has only 200 calories!

The cupcakes are best when served on the same day they are made. If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over (perfect for chocolate fondue!).

Cook’s Note: I used Ghirardelli cocoa powder for the cupcake, and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips for the ganache. You REALLY need to use good-quality products here (sorry, Nestle or Hershey’s just won’t do).

Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

1 1/4 C flour, sifted

1/2 t baking soda, sifted

1/4 t salt

8 T (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 C sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 t vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon

1 C whole milk, at room temperature

1/2 C good-quality cocoa powder, sifted

For the ganache frosting:

1/2 C heavy cream

1 C good-quality semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 C Chopped, toasted Hazel nuts for garnish (optional)

Directions:

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.

Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.

Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.

Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated.

Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache frosting:

Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface.

Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth.

To Assemble:

Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving.

Garnish with chopped, toasted Hazel nuts if desired.

Makes 18 cupcakes

Source: Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake for The Washington Post, November 5^th, 2008 

*Now for the Giveaway*

One winner will receive a Prize Pack of all 3 of my Favorite Things:

1.   A 1-year subscription to America’s Test Kitchen

·         You may have noticed that I have an obsession with America’s Test Kitchen recipes. For me, they are hands-down THE best recipe source for the home cook.

2.   The Best-Ever Cupcake Icing Kit from Bake it Pretty

·         The tips in this kit are huge and just perfect for icing cupcakes. Almost every cupcake recipe on my blog has been iced using this kit. Here’s their Icing Kit video:

3.   A $50 gift card to TOMS SHOES

·         I love my TOMS and my daughter, Mia’s too. They are cute, comfy, and stylish. What I love even more about them is that for each pair of TOMS you buy, they’ll donate a pair to a child in need. Here, watch their video (the first time I watch it I totally cried!):

Mia rockin' her silver glitter TOMS.

***The Giveaway will end on Monday, October 24^th at 11:59 PM PST. I will pick a winner via random.org and I will announce and email the winner on Tuesday, October 25^th.

Entries:
There are 5 ways to enter! Please leave a *separate comment* for each entry. Make sure each comment includes your e-mail address so I can contact the winner!

1.  Follow Food Folks and Fun (look in the upper left-hand column)

2.  “Like” Food Folks and Fun on Facebook

3.  Follow Food Folks and Fun on Twitter

4.  Subscribe to Food Folks and Fun (form in the left-hand column)

5.  Blog/Tweet/or Facebook this giveaway for 3 ADDITIONAL ENTRIES!  

Restrictions: Open to US & Canadian residents only, age 18 and over.


Good Luck everyone and thanks for supporting me through my very first year of blogging! J

Disclaimer: I have not received any compensation, products, or services from any of the companies included in this post. This is a giveaway sponsored by and paid for by me!J

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
Tip Me Tuesday
Today’s Creative Blog