Warm Chocolate Cupcakes with Molten Centers
Chocolate ganache (recipe follows), chilled at least one hour
Vegetable oil spray for misting the pans
All-purpose flour for dusting the pans
1
(18.25-ounce) package plain, no-pudding devil's food cake mix
1
cup water
½
cup vegetable oil
3
large eggs
1
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½
teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼
cup powdered sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream (optional)
At least one hour before baking (or a day ahead of time), prepare the chocolate ganache; cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill and firm up.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 F.
Lightly mist 24 cupcake cups (two pans holding a dozen cakes each) with vegetable oil spray and dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
Place the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend 1 ½ to 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well-combined and thickened.
Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each prepared cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes.) Drop a heaping teaspoonful of ganache onto the top of the batter in each cup. Place the pans in the oven. Bake until the cake bakes up around the ganache, the tops are domed and the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove pans from the oven and place them on wire racks for 1 minute. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake cups. Lift the cupcakes from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. (Cupcakes may be made up to a day ahead and stored, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to a day.)
To reheat so the centers are molten once again, place the cupcakes on a microwave-safe plate and cover with paper towels. Heat on High (100 percent power) for 10 seconds; carefully remove. Sift powdered sugar over the tops of the cakes. Place each cupcake on a dessert plate. If desired, serve with a small dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately. Makes 22 to 24 cupcakes
Lightly mist 24 cupcake cups (two pans holding a dozen cakes each) with vegetable oil spray and dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.
Place the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend 1 ½ to 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well-combined and thickened.
Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each prepared cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes.) Drop a heaping teaspoonful of ganache onto the top of the batter in each cup. Place the pans in the oven. Bake until the cake bakes up around the ganache, the tops are domed and the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove pans from the oven and place them on wire racks for 1 minute. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake cups. Lift the cupcakes from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. (Cupcakes may be made up to a day ahead and stored, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to a day.)
To reheat so the centers are molten once again, place the cupcakes on a microwave-safe plate and cover with paper towels. Heat on High (100 percent power) for 10 seconds; carefully remove. Sift powdered sugar over the tops of the cakes. Place each cupcake on a dessert plate. If desired, serve with a small dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately. Makes 22 to 24 cupcakes
Chocolate Ganache: Place 3/4 cup heavy cream in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, stirring. Meanwhile, place 11/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli double-chocolate baking chips) in a large, stainless-steel mixing bowl. Remove cream from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate has melted. If desired, stir in 1 tablespoon of your choice of liqueur, such as crème de cacao (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla). Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour (or up to 24 hours) so that the mixture thickens.
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