Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes with Ganache Frosting

Denny has been out of town this week, so I haven't had anyone to cook for. Luckily we have a trip to Columbia planned for this weekend, so I had the opportunity to whip up something to bring along. I found this cupcake recipe on the Food Network's website and it sounded so irresistible. Cupcakes are all the rage for birthday parties, kid's events, parties, etc. They're so cute and you can do different color wrappers and icings and be really creative.

This recipe was moderately difficult to make. It took about 35 minutes prep time (not including the icing and cook time). The hardest part was putting the cheesecake filling in the cups and covering it perfectly with the batter. It was more time consuming than hard, really. It took some patience, but the end result was so worth it. The cheesecake center is really neat and a nice little surprise! Since today is my birthday, I allowed myself to sample one before anyone else. Delish, I will make this again for sure!



Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes with Ganache Frosting
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 egg, at room temperature
2/3 cup milk, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons mini semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Ganache frosting, recipe follows

1. Place rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until pale yellow, about 1 minute. Add the egg and stir until just combined. Gently add half of the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Mix in the milk. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until combined. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

4. Fill prepared cupcake liners with enough chocolate batter to just cover the bottom. Add a dollop of the cream cheese filling to each, then top with remaining batter (cream cheese filling should not be visible).

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cupcakes stand in the pan for 3 minutes and then remove and allow to cool completely on a rack.

6. Dip each cupcake into the ganache, forming an even layer of frosting. Place in the refrigerator to set, about 15 minutes.

Ganache Frosting:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional

1. Place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk together the chocolate, cream, and espresso powder (if using). Continue whisking until chocolate is melted and the mixture is thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.