Week 23: Little Miss Sunshine: Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes with Butterchocoscotch Ganache

Hi friends! To all of my readers who have endured this awful winter weather.... I hope you have been inside with something hot to drink, or near a warm, toasty fire away from the winter elements. While I have no fire place to curl up to and I have had to shovel more snow than I care to think about, then chip more ice than I care to think about, my little guy and I have had our share of hot drinks to keep us warm! The pervasive winter chill has gotten to me this year. It must have been when we hit the -12° degrees F I decided I was done with winter! I am so over this weather! I hope the little groundhog was wrong and Spring hurries up and gets here.

I hope you will enjoy this delicious recipe combination of both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, topped with a creamy chocolate butterscotch ganache and a nice butterscotch morsel on top. This cupcake makes my mouth dance and complements any "hot" beverage really well! Without further delay, here is a wonderful winter treat. I think the butterscotch ganache looks like a little bit of sunshine and the chocolate ganache drizzled along with it, is divine!

Best!

Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 2 dozen

1 3/4 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 teaspoons table salt

2 large whole eggs plus

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cupcake pan with liners; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla; mix batter until mixture is smooth and combined, for about 3 minutes.

5. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

6. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway.

7. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 18-20 minutes. Rotate the pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack.

8. VERY IMPORTANT to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting!

Buttercup Bake Shop Golden Cupcakes
Makes 2 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter

2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking pan with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl on medium speed, cream the sugar and butter until fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition.

4. Mix the milk and vanilla together.

5. Combine the flours and add in two parts, alternating between the milk and vanilla mixture, beat well after each addition.

6. Spoon the batter into the cups, about 3/4 full. The tops should spring back when lightly touched. Bake about 21-23 minutes.

7. VERY IMPORTANT to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting!

Butterscotch Ganache

12 oz. (1 package) Butterscotch morsels
6 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1) In a double boiler combine the cream and butter together just before boiling.

2) Pour butterscotch morsels into the mixture.

3) Stir until mixture is smooth with no lumps.

4) Drizzle over completely cooled cupcakes.

For the chocolate ganache, replace butterscotch morsels with chocolate morsels.